By Vivienne Russell | 7 March 2013
Ofsted inspections should be ditched in favour of a broader approach that takes on board the views of teachers, pupils and parents, the Demos think-tank has argued.
Its report, Detoxifying school accountability, said the current system had forced heads and teachers to prioritise achieving targets above students’ education.
An annual ‘multi-perspective’ inspection, informed by data collected from those who work at and use a school, would be a more rigorous and effective means of assessing its performance than a short visit from an external inspection team.
Labels such as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ would be replaced by an ‘honest account’ of a school’s strengths and limitations, the think-tank said.
Demos also called for standardised testing to be dropped and qualifications deregulated. Instead, a variety of qualifications should be developed to reflect a broader range of knowledge, skills and aptitudes that are more relevant to the modern world.
Choices between these new qualifications would be guided by a databank. This would collect school and National Insurance data to track students’ career progress, thus providing a snapshot of the success of the exams undertaken.
Report author James Park said: ‘For too long, teachers and school leaders have been labouring in a toxic system, striving to meet targets at the expense of a good quality education for their students. International evidence shows that an education system which trusts professionals is more likely to succeed, yet policy over the past 20 years has systematically undermined trust.
‘A system where all interested parties – leaders, teachers, students, parents and inspectors – have a say would be a step in the right direction. It would represent a crucial move away from a target-obsessed culture to a more balanced, trusting and effective education system.’
Duncan O’Leary, deputy director of Demos, added that it was only possible to do so much from the top down. ‘As every parent and teacher knows, Ofsted inspectors rarely see the true picture of a school,’ he said.
‘An approach that amplified the views of parents, pupils and teachers could be more demanding, more honest and more effective in the long run.’
An Ofsted spokeswoman said any changes to the inspectorate’s remit was a matter for government.
But she added: ‘Across remits, more than nine out of ten providers consistently tell us they are happy with their inspection, and believe it will help them improve. Inspectors carefully consider the views of parents and pupils as part of their inspection evidence, and are now spending more time than ever before observing lessons and teaching.
'Our reports are a valuable, and independent, source of information for parents on the quality of their children’s education.’
