The education secretary, Lucy Powell, is set to review the current Ofsted school inspection framework amid ongoing concerns about the pressures it places on teachers and school leaders. The review follows calls from education unions and school professionals who argue that the existing system remains stressful, despite changes implemented last year.

In 2025, under Powell’s predecessor Bridget Phillipson, the Department for Education replaced the traditional single-word judgments—such as "outstanding" or "inadequate"—with a more detailed "report card" system. This new approach evaluates schools across four areas: quality of education, behaviour and attendance, leadership and management. Each area receives a rating from "exceptional" to "needs urgent improvement." The change aimed to provide a more nuanced assessment of schools and respond to criticisms that earlier judgments were overly simplistic and damaging.

This shift followed heightened scrutiny after the 2023 death of Ruth Perry, the head teacher of Caversham Primary School, who took her own life shortly after her school was downgraded from "outstanding" to "inadequate" in an Ofsted inspection focusing on safeguarding concerns. Her death sparked national debate over the impact of inspection regimes on the mental health of educators.

Despite the reforms, concerns persist among teaching professionals. The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) recently surveyed its members and found that nearly 75% of school leaders believe the inspection process has worsened over the past year. Paul Whiteman, NAHT’s general secretary, warned that the current framework is “even more stressful” than its predecessor, posing significant risks to the wellbeing and mental health of staff.

The NAHT has called for a temporary halt to graded inspections while the government reconsiders its approach, suggesting that a short narrative report might better serve schools and communities. Amanda Hulme, head teacher at Claypool Primary School in Bolton, described a recent inspection as "easily the most stressful experience" of her career. Similarly, Professor Julia Waters, Perry’s sister, criticized the new system as a "rehash of the discredited and dangerous system it is meant to replace."

Responding to these concerns, a Department for Education source confirmed that Powell had already planned to review the inspection regime prior to the latest pressure from the NAHT. Ofsted stated that it has worked closely with teaching unions over the past three years to reform inspections and emphasized its commitment to maintaining transparent school assessments. An Ofsted spokesperson reiterated the organization’s dual goals of raising educational standards and providing clear information to parents, insisting that graded evaluations will continue alongside engagement with unions.

As the review proceeds, education stakeholders await potential changes intended to balance accountability with the need to support school staff wellbeing.