Tomorrow, the school leaders' union, NAHT be debating an
emergency motion at our annual conference in Newport on Ofsted
following the government's refusal to commit to scrapping
single-word judgements. The motion is to instruct the Executive
to explore all campaign, legal and industrial routes to secure
necessary changes to inspection to safeguard well-being,
following the tragic death of Ruth Perry last year.
It'll be the first motion after Ofsted Chief Inspector, Sir
Martyn Oliver's speech on Saturday morning. Sir Martyn will be
speaking from 9.50-10.30. Both his speech and the motion will be
available to view here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=qWHLeYN0lRA
Annual Conference Motions 13-19 (Saturday
1140-1300)
Inspection and Accountability
A longstanding and broad consensus has urged government and
Ofsted to reform the inhumane and unreliable inspection system
. Tragically, that consensus has been strengthened by
the coroner's finding that inspection contributed to the death of
Ruth Perry. In turn, this led the House of Commons
Education Select Committee to recognise the urgent need to
mitigate the risks that inspection poses to the health and
well-being of school leaders and their teams.
Government has effectively ignored the findings of coroner's
prevention of future deaths report by rejecting the Select
Committee's recommendations. Its tin-eared defence of
discredited and reductive single-phrase judgements, and its
unwillingness to enter into any meaningful consultation or
negotiation, poses a real and present danger to the mental
health, well-being and lives of school leaders and
teachers. Should another tragedy happen in the future, it
will be ministers who need to answer for their decisions.
In light of Government's wholly inadequate response, Conference
instructs NAHT's National Executive to explore all campaign,
legal and industrial routes to secure necessary changes to
inspection to safeguard leaders' lives.