Government decision to drop Ofsted single headline ratings labelled 'a backwards step' by Northumberland councillor

Cllr Guy Renner-Thompson, cabinet member with responsibilities for Inspiring Young People at Northumberland County Council, was responding to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s announcement.

“This is a backwards step and the beginning of a slippery slope towards falling school standards,” said the Conservative member for Bamburgh Ward.

"In Northumberland we are very proud that 94% of schools are graded ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. It was only 76% when Labour ran Northumberland council.

“Across England 90% of schools are now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% in 2010 under Labour.

“Labour have yet again caved to the unions and are softening the school inspection system, threatening to undo a decade of progress under the Conservatives which has seen English schools jump up international league tables."

Single headline ratings awarded by the watchdog will be dropped with immediate effect, after concerns that they did not offer a “fair and accurate” assessment of a school’s performance and over the judgements’ impact on teachers’ mental health.

Previously, schools were given one of four marks: outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.

A coroner ruled that the inspection process had contributed to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her primary school in Reading.

Schools North East, the regional network of schools set up by head teachers, said that the existing Ofsted system put “significant workload pressures” on staff and called for promised reform to “reflect the full breadth of work schools do”.

Chris Zarraga, its director, said: “Schools in the North East have long expressed concerns about the impact of one-word judgements. The current inspection regime has put significant workload pressures on school staff, especially impacting the wellbeing of school leaders whose jobs can all too often depend on a one-word judgement.

“Concerns have also been raised by schools in our region working in the special and alternative provision sector about the impact of negative Ofsted judgements on inclusive practice. The announcement of the end of one-word judgements then is welcome.

“Future reforms of the accountability system must ensure that reports reflect the full breadth of work schools do, and not just a snapshot. Crucially, the accountability system must focus on delivering the right support to schools following an inspection, in order to drive school improvement collaboratively.”

For inspections this year, schools will be given four grades across four existing Ofsted sub-categories – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The Department for Education said that, from September 2025, schools will then receive report cards to give a “full and comprehensive assessment of how schools are performing and ensure that inspections are more effective in driving improvement”.

Ms Phillipson, the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, said the need to overhaul the Ofsted system was “overwhelmingly clear”.

She added: “The removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children, parents and teachers.

“Single-headline grades are low information for parents and high stakes for schools. Parents deserve a much clearer, much broader picture of how schools are performing – that’s what our report cards will provide.”