Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con) (Urgent Question) To ask the
Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement on
proposed changes to Ofsted reporting. The Minister for School
Standards (Catherine McKinnell) As the Government explained in the
written ministerial statement that was laid yesterday, and as was
outlined in our manifesto, single headline grades will no longer be
issued by Ofsted when it inspects state-funded schools. Our
landmark reform...Request free trial
(East Hampshire) (Con) (Urgent
Question)
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a
statement on proposed changes to Ofsted reporting.
The Minister for School Standards ()
As the Government explained in the written ministerial statement
that was laid yesterday, and as was outlined in our manifesto,
single headline grades will no longer be issued by Ofsted when it
inspects state-funded schools. Our landmark reform will drive
high and rising standards for children, and will increase
transparency for parents.
Today Ofsted published the outcome of its Big Listen consultation
exercise, the largest engagement with parents, children and
professionals in its history, which, as the right hon. Member for
East Hampshire () will know, began under the
last Government. The Big Listen contains some difficult messages.
It is clear that significant change is needed, and Ofsted has
responded by committing itself to improvements.
Holding schools accountable for children's education is vital,
but single headline grades are low information for parents and
create high stakes for schools, so this Government are acting,
making inspections both more powerful and more transparent. For
this academic year, parents will continue to see four inspection
grades for the existing sub-categories, and from September 2025
the introduction of school report cards will provide a more
complete picture of a school's performance. We will develop those
over the coming months, working closely with parents and
schools.
We want high and rising standards for every child, and we will
act decisively when those standards are not being met. We will
continue to intervene when performance is a serious concern.
Ofsted's legal duty to identify schools causing concern will
remain. They will still be required to notify the Secretary of
State of these inspection outcomes, and she will retain her legal
duty to issue an academy order to local authority-maintained
schools when that is required. However, we will change the way in
which schools are supported to help them succeed. From early
2025, we will introduce regional improvement teams, which will
partner with struggling schools to drive improvement quickly and
directly. This marks the beginning, not the end, of our journey
towards an accountability system that is fit for purpose and will
help to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child
throughout the country.
The system can certainly improve. After the terrible tragedy of
Ruth Perry, changes were made, and, as the Minister said, Ofsted
initiated its wider Big Listen consultation. We supported that,
and I welcome much of what was in Ofsted's announcement today,
but I fear that the Government have not thought through the
consequences of their own announcement yesterday. The overall
effectiveness assessment is a vital indicator for parents, and it
also plays a specific role in the statutory framework.
Can the Minister confirm that Ofsted will still have a legal duty
to identify schools needing “special measures” or “requiring
significant improvement”, that the Department will still
intervene, and that this will be based on the same criteria as
before, with the use of the same word, “inadequate”, but now in
any one of four categories? When will there be clarity for other
sectors—early years, colleges, prisons and social care?
Crucially, what are the implications for intervention if
children's social care in an area is failing, with all the
terrible consequences that that can bring? There is already a
wealth of report card information on schools, from pupil progress
to attendance. What will actually be new in the report cards that
the Minister mentioned?
A rather less discussed aspect of yesterday's announcement is the
introduction of the ominous-sounding regional improvement teams
to monitor struggling schools, rather a good fit being found with
an academy trust. Apparently, they will be funded by—yes, you
guessed it—VAT on independent schools. In respect of schools with
successive “requires improvement” judgments, can the Minister
tell us what reason there is to believe that regional improvement
teams will be more effective in delivering improvements than a
strong academy trust?
Between 2010 and 2024, the proportion of schools rated less than
good came down from about one in three to one in 10. What worries
me is that these changes mean less transparency for parents and a
step backwards, from a proven school improvement approach with
academy trusts to a directive top-down approach. I urge the
Secretary of State and her Minister to assess the true impact
that this will have on young people's prospects before it is too
late.
The shadow Secretary of State was a Minister in the Department
for Education, and he knows these issues well. He also knows that
the work we are announcing today is about clearing up the mess
that the previous Government left. The Big Listen was announced
under his Government, and his former colleague, the previous
Chair of the Education Committee, was persuaded of the case for
reform of the single-headline grades. Labour is a party of high
and rising standards for all our children in all our schools.
Reforming inspection to enable improvement in our schools is
urgent. Inspection and accountability are crucial tools for
achieving better outcomes for all our children. We will take no
lessons from a party under whose watch one in four children left
primary school without meeting the standards expected in maths
and reading. One in five children are persistently absent from
school, and it is not good enough. We are determined to fix it,
and the announcement that we have made is the first step on that
road.
(Hitchin) (Lab)
May I thank the Minister for taking swift action? As a former
teacher and children's lead at a local authority, I know how
high-stakes and low-information Ofsted judgments had started to
become for local families. Indeed, having spoken to parents in my
constituency ahead of my Westminster Hall debate on education for
children with special educational needs and disabilities
tomorrow, I know that the lack of a focus on inclusive education
is a real issue for a lot of parents. Can the Minister confirm
that when looking at a new scorecard, we will make the most of
this opportunity to ensure that Ofsted is holding schools to
account on the breadth of their inclusion in the local area?
My hon. Friend puts the issues very well. We will consult on the
report card system and take the time to ensure that we get it
right, but we want to ensure that we have a clearer picture for
parents by putting a clearer spotlight on a greater range of
areas of performance, rather than a one-word overall judgment.
For example, we want to give parents a better picture of the
support that a school is providing for children with special
educational needs. As part of the process, we will explore how to
demonstrate that within the report card system.
Mr Speaker
I call the Lib Dem spokesperson.
(Twickenham) (LD)
The death of Ruth Perry was a tragedy and underscored the
high-stakes nature of Ofsted inspections. I have witnessed at
first hand how headteachers and teachers in my constituency have
suffered under the strain and stress of Ofsted inspections, but
others have also told me how helpful they have found them and how
brilliant Ofsted inspectors have been. We Liberal Democrats
certainly welcome the move away from one-word judgments, which we
have long been calling for. At the same time, we believe that a
robust and fair inspection and accountability regime is essential
to ensure that schools are operating at a high standard and are
safe, nurturing and inclusive environments in which our children
and young people can thrive.
Although the change is a welcome first step, could we have some
reassurances that it will be followed by proper root-and-branch
reform? For too long, Ofsted has been seen as an adversary, but
it should be seen as a helpful friend. Can we see the
announcement as a first step towards a world where Ofsted is a
helpful, respected partner for schools? Perhaps the regional
improvement teams will provide that—I sense that local
authorities used to do so before they had that function taken
away from them. Finally, Ofsted should be looking at a broad,
varied and rich curriculum. How will the Minister's curriculum
review connect with the Ofsted changes?
I thank the hon. Lady for welcoming today's changes, which are
welcomed by many people in the sector and across the country, who
rely on a strong inspection system that is fair, clear and
transparent. I echo her comments about the death of Ruth Perry,
which was a tragedy. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to
her sister Julia, who has fought so hard over the past year to
ensure that lessons are learned.
We know that Ofsted has reported on its Big Listen today, and
copies will be available in the House of Commons Library. It is a
very large report. Ofsted has undertaken a huge exercise, which
shows that it is listening. It will take time to see the changes
implemented, but Ofsted is determined to change and, as the hon.
Lady says, we are determined to work in partnership with it to
deliver the changes required. That applies across the board in
our education sector, where we want to work in partnership with
schools and those who are delivering the excellent education that
we want to see for every child.
The hon. Lady mentioned the curriculum review. I may get in
trouble for the length of response that her question requires,
but the curriculum review is a key part of reforming our
education system and ensuring that it gives a breadth and depth
of experience to young people, their teachers and their
schools.
(Wolverhampton North
East) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend for her statement to the House on the
long-awaited Ofsted reforms. Given the welcome focus on
inclusion, SEND and improved training for inspectors, can she
update the House on how this will support children with SEND in
Wolverhampton North East and beyond?
I concur with my hon. Friend that this is about ensuring we have
an inspection system that drives high and rising standards for
every child, which includes supporting our aim to see an
inclusive school system that delivers the outcomes that we want
to see for children with special educational needs. It is about
providing greater transparency in our school system and an
inspection regime that focuses on a whole variety of areas where
schools should be striving for improvement. We know that schools
work incredibly hard and are doing an incredible job for our
children, but every school can always do better, and an
inspection system that supports and drives improvement will be
welcome across the board.
Sir (Stone, Great Wyrley and
Penkridge) (Con)
Across Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, we have some amazing
“outstanding” and “good” schools. Across the country, however, we
see schools that are failing and in need of intervention. Could
the Minister set out what she envisages as the trigger mechanism
for intervention?
The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point, and we will
work with Ofsted on developing the new report card system over
the next year. We will engage and consult as part of that
process, because we want to get it right. He is right to suggest
that where there are serious failings in schools, we will
continue to intervene in the best interests of children, and we
will continue to intervene where the Government currently have a
legal duty to do so. We will continue to intervene but, through
our regional improvement teams, we will also look to put
improvement support in place for schools that are struggling,
because no child should be left in a school that is letting them
down.
Mr (Hartlepool) (Lab)
Schools across the country, including in my constituency of
Hartlepool, will welcome today's judgment. As they start the new
term, will my hon. Friend join me in thanking them for their
extraordinary hard work, including on behalf of my children, who
started their school term today? The decision demonstrates that
in this Government, schools have a partner who will work with
them to improve every child's future.
I agree, and I wish my hon. Friend's children all the best as
they start school today. Many children across the country are
having their first day back at school. I remember my first day at
school very well; I remember it being terrifying and not
dissimilar from one's first outing at the Dispatch Box. I concur
that this Government's priority is to drive high and rising
standards—not in some of our schools and for some of our
children, but for every child in every one of our schools—and we
will work tirelessly to deliver that. The reforms that we are
announcing are a crucial part of ensuring that it is
delivered.
(Oxford West and Abingdon)
(LD)
In my career as a teacher, I had the dubious pleasure of being
inspected by four different regimes. I am afraid to say that
Ofsted was the most brutal, the least personal and the least
useful of all the regimes. At its best, an inspection regime can
help to drive up improvements and celebrate what is great about a
school. Inspections hold up a mirror and make teachers ask
themselves what more they can do for the children they care about
so much. What lessons is the Department learning from other
inspection regimes around the world?
The hon. Lady raises an important point, and her experience is
obviously valuable to the House for the lessons that we can
learn. She is absolutely right to say that a good inspection
regime drives improvement and identifies in all schools not only
those areas where they are doing well—which should be
celebrated—but those where there is room to improve. We will
consult on the report card system extensively over the next year.
We want to make sure we get this right, and we want to do it in
partnership. We will look to see how this is done elsewhere to
make sure that we learn from best practice, and we will continue
to ensure that this is an inspection system that should be
welcomed by schools, as it helps them to identify how they
deliver for their children, as she rightly says. I know that that
is the priority for every school.
(Southampton Itchen)
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for her statement and for the excellent,
practical reforms that are being set out. Will she join me in
thanking in advance all the hard-working teachers and support
staff across Southampton Itchen, and offer them an assurance that
this Government intend to work in real partnership to ensure that
every child gets the best start in life?
I thank my hon. Friend and very much welcome the opportunity to
thank all our teachers as they go back to school this week. They
will be putting in a really hard and rewarding year ahead, and
will give the best to the children in their care.
I absolutely echo what my hon. Friend says. We were clear from
day one in government that we want to work in partnership with
the sector. We know that the Government do not deliver education
to children: our teachers do; our schools do; our support staff
do; and the parents who make sure their children get to school
do. We support them all in that endeavour, but where we can do
more to support them in delivering that, we will. The
announcements that we are making are part of that endeavour.
Sir (New Forest East) (Con)
When my sister Lee took what were then called her GCE exams in
the early 1960s, she was given a specific mark for each exam
result. By the time I took mine in the late 1960s, that system
had been replaced by one of grades, which merged together all
sorts of different results and was likely to lead to subjectivity
and relativism henceforth. Could not the simplistic one-word
system that is now being replaced be replaced by a proper marking
system, where individual aspects of a school are specifically
marked and an overall figure given, which would therefore not be
subjective, but would give parents an easy guide as to the
performance of the school?
The right hon. Gentleman makes a characteristically thoughtful
point. As part of our consultation, we will look at how best to
deliver our aim, which is to provide greater transparency,
greater clarity and greater information for parents, for schools
and for the staff who are working to drive improvement. As he
says, no child would be given a single grade for their overall
school performance, which begs the important question of why we
have been doing that for schools.
(Burnley) (Lab/Co-op)
When the previous Conservative Government left office, education
standards were declining, schools were crumbling, and they
claimed to have maxed out on their support for children. Does the
Minister agree that schools, parents and pupils deserve better,
and that with this Government, they will get it?
[Interruption.]
My hon. Friend puts it incredibly well, although those on the
Opposition Front Bench seem to protest against his appreciation
of the reality that schools up and down the country have been
facing, which has been letting children down. That is our key
focus today. Yes, it is about schools, it is about an inspection
framework, and it is about the organisation, Ofsted, that
delivers that, but actually this is about children. It is about
ensuring the best outcomes for every child. If we get this system
right and we put education back at the heart of national life
again, we will deliver on our pledge to break down the barriers
to opportunity for every child, wherever they are in this
country.
Mr (Maidenhead) (LD)
I welcome the announcement by the Government, as do many schools
and parents in my constituency, who want more information rather
than just one-word ratings. Can I urge the Minister to give
parents more power through greater detail, while ensuring that
ratings are easy for parents to understand?
The hon. Gentleman has very much set out our aim and intention,
and that is why we will consult extensively on this. We have
given ourselves till September 2025 to have the report cards in
place, and we want to ensure that we have input from education
experts, parents and children, and that we maximise this
opportunity to, as he put it, maximise the information that
parents will find useful and the information that schools will
find useful, to drive the improvement that they want for their
children.
Mr (York Outer) (Lab)
York Outer is home to many inspirational teachers and I am proud
that my wife is one of them, but heads tell me that there is a
recruitment and retention crisis. Does the Minister agree that
the end of Ofsted headline judgments will improve teacher
retention, and can she update the House on the plans to recruit
6,500 specialist teachers?
I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention and I wish his wife,
and all teachers starting their new school term, well. It is an
incredibly exciting time. It is a little bit daunting for some,
but it is an important opportunity to reset their school life at
the beginning of a new year.
Similarly, this is an opportunity for us to reset our
relationship with the sector. In doing so, we must ensure that we
can recruit the necessary teachers. We must make teaching the
attractive, respected and admired profession that it should be,
to ensure that we meet the pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers.
We have already started the work. We have reset the relationship
and the tone, we have obviously made progress on the pay review,
and we will continue to strive to reach our target to ensure that
every school has the teachers it needs, and that every child has
the teachers they need, especially in the subjects that require
specialist teaching.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for her response to all the questions and
wish her well in the role that she now plays to make education
better for our children. That is what we all wish to see. The
Minister will understand the need for parents to easily and
simply determine which school best fits the needs of their child
and family, and that any review of a school must be accessible
not only to those with an educational background but to those who
are perhaps not familiar with educational terminology. This needs
to be clear in the reporting. Does the Minister also acknowledge
that, rather than having teaching staff focus on an area that
appears to be getting a lower grade than the rest, and directing
resources to improving that one area, the resources and attention
must instead go to children and their educational needs, which
are more varied and complex than ever before?
The hon. Gentleman makes a characteristically thoughtful point,
and I do not disagree with anything that he said. In fact, the
report card system should give a much more holistic picture of
school life. A parent knows their child, and they know the sort
of school environment that will suit them. A report card system
will enable the highlighting of areas where a school may be doing
particularly well, and the areas where it may need to strive to
improve. That will be useful for parents. It will also be useful
for schools to know where they can improve, and it will be useful
in driving high and rising standards for every child. We are
absolutely determined to deliver that, and we see this as a key
part of ensuring that that happens.
(Bracknell) (Lab)
If I were to pick a single word to describe Ofsted's grading
system, it would be “inadequate”, so I welcome the Government's
commitment to reviewing Ofsted's review system, and particularly
to reviewing its focus on special educational needs. Will the
Minister engage with families with special educational needs when
developing the new school report card system?
Ensuring that we meet the needs of children with special
educational needs and their families is a key priority for the
Government. We recognise that the system is broken and that there
are too many families and too many children not getting the
education that they deserve. We see this as part of the process
of resetting that relationship and resetting the system so that
we can have a school system that is inclusive, where that is
appropriate, and so that we can have mainstream schools that
serve the whole community. We will endeavour, as part of wider
reforms that we are looking at, to ensure that we have a special
educational needs system that meets the needs of every child in
this country.
(Barking) (Lab)
I thank the Minister for her statement, and for her clarity on
the next steps to drive improvement in schools across the
country. Many teachers and parents will welcome the news that we
will move away from one-word inspections, but intervention is not
the same as driving improvement. Can the Minister reassure me
that, alongside intervention, there will be a plan and support
for schools so that we see the improvements necessary to give
every child the best start in life?
We will continue to intervene in the worst-performing schools.
Where a school would previously have been rated “inadequate”, the
Government will still take action. We will issue academy orders,
if required, in line with legal requirements. Inspection reports
will continue to make it clear to parents if a school is in this
situation, and Ofsted will continue to make it clear where a
school is causing concern and if intervention is required by
law.
We will also ensure that, where schools need support, they get
that support. We will roll out regional improvement teams to
ensure that, where schools are struggling, they get the support
they need, through a system that partners them with
high-performing schools in the area to ensure that schools work
together for the benefit of their whole community. We see that as
a key part of driving the reforms that we want to see for every
child.
(Runcorn and Helsby)
(Lab)
I welcome the Minister's changes to Ofsted inspections. This
holistic approach is genuinely common sense. In the future, will
similar measures apply to children's services?
We recognise that this is a first step on the journey towards
removing single headline grades, which we see as reductive—we
have widespread agreement on that—across all educational remits.
At this stage, we are implementing it in schools as a matter of
priority, but we will work with Ofsted and the sector over the
next year to develop reporting arrangements across a whole range
of areas for which Ofsted has responsibility.
(Telford) (Lab)
I congratulate the Minister on this rapid work. The Conservatives
had 14 years, but Labour Ministers have done it in a matter of
weeks. Can I have a commitment that Ofsted's focus on attainment,
SEND and attendance will be laser-focused?
For the benefit of the House, there are only two more
Conservatives Members in the Chamber for this statement on
education standards than are standing for the Conservative party
leadership.
My hon. Friend is right. We have delivered at pace and hit the
ground running when it comes to improving our education system.
Just as every day at school matters, every day in government
matters for driving high and rising standards for every
child.
My hon. Friend rightly identifies attendance as a key issue, and
we share that concern. The previous Government talked a lot about
that, but did very little to turn the tables. We want to see
attendance prioritised, as we know that far too many children are
missing far too much school, which is harming not only their
educational opportunities but their life chances and the whole
school community. We want to send the message loud and clear, in
this first week back at school, that every day at school matters
and every child should be attending school.
(Birmingham Northfield)
(Lab)
The decision to end single-word judgments will be welcomed by
education professionals across Birmingham. I have seen in my own
household the mental and physical toll that the old system could
impose. Can the Minister confirm that the new school report card
will allow Ofsted to assess SEND inclusion alongside SEND
attainment?
Yes. We know that the current system is not working for anyone,
which is why the changes we have outlined are so important. We
know that we need to spread best practice and drive standards
across all of our schools, including for children with special
educational needs, who are a key priority for this Government,
and we will consult on the best ways to do that.
(Redditch) (Lab)
I thank the Minister for her statement. Anyone who has visited a
school in their constituency before or after an Ofsted inspection
cannot help but know the impact on staff. I welcome this
opportunity to reset our relationship with educators and
families, because it is so important right now that those young
people who are looking to become teachers see it as a worthwhile
profession in which they will be welcomed and appreciated by the
Government. I hope this is an opportunity for the Minister to
work with the education sector and families to build a report
system that is fit for purpose and encourages people to work in
the education system.
Hear, hear. We know that the system has been letting down
children and families, and that we have a shortage of people who
want to be teachers. We need to make sure we have a teaching
workforce that can deliver the education that every child
deserves. My hon. Friend puts it incredibly eloquently, and I
very much agree that this is about resetting our system and
resetting the Government's relationship with families, so that
they send their children to school and believe that school is the
best place for their child, and with teachers, so that they know
they are trusted, valued and supported to deliver what I know
they went into teaching to deliver, and so that we encourage more
people to become teachers.
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