
Hundreds of schools across England have not been examined by the inspectorate for more than a decade.
Headteachers are resisting Ofsted plans to relaunch inspections of “outstanding” schools that have not been assessed for more than a decade.
Hundreds of schools across England have not been examined by the inspectorate for more than a decade as those rated outstanding have been exempt from reinspection since 2011.
But in September, Ofsted started a fresh wave of inspections in the highly rated schools – some of the most sought after in the country – with new inspection criteria. The changes are expected to see thousands of high-rated schools lose their “outstanding” status.
The inspections have prompted concern from teaching unions, including the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) which wrote to Ofsted last week asking for the inspections to be paused as many schools are still struggling to get back on their feet after the Covid pandemic.