Education Secretary pledges to overhaul ‘confusing’ system of school accountability
The Education Secretary will today pledge to overhaul the ‘confusing’ system of school accountability to give teachers more freedom and to boost development opportunities for new teachers.
In an address to school leaders at the National Association of Head Teachers’ (NAHT) annual conference in Liverpool today, the Secretary of State is to set out plans for a clearer system of accountability that will “let good schools get on with their job and be free from the ‘spectre’ of multiple inspections by making it clear that the only people who should go to schools for inspections are Ofsted.”
Reports suggest that the Education Secretary is expected to focus on accountability and will announce a consultation to replace the ‘confusing’ system of having both floor and coasting standards to measure school performance, with a single measure to trigger support for schools.
He is expected to say that:
“Accountability is vital. Children only get one shot at an education and we owe them the best. Where they are being let down we need to take action quickly, so no-one ends up left behind.
“But what I’ve found from speaking to many school leaders in the last few months is that there is also real confusion within the sector. I believe school leaders need complete clarity on how the accountability system will operate.
“I’m clear that Ofsted is the body that can provide an independent, rounded judgement of a school’s performance.
“This means we will not be forcibly turning schools into academies unless Ofsted has judged it to be Inadequate.”
He is also expected to say that he “believes strongly that becoming an academy can bring enormous benefits to schools.”
“We must also have a system that does more than just deal with failure… But we will do so in the right way, and there will be a single, transparent data trigger for schools to be offered support – which we will consult on.
“I have a clear message to schools and their leaders: I trust you to get on with the job.”
Commenting on changes to the school accountability system being announced by Education Secretary Damian Hinds today, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“School leaders will breathe a sigh of relief to see that the Department for Education intends to clarify and simplify the byzantine way in which they are currently judged. However, while these measures are a welcome step towards a lighter-touch approach, there is still a long way to go to ease the crushing weight of our draconian accountability system.
“However, we are concerned that the department intends to persist with the policy of forcing schools which are judged to be inadequate to become academies. There is no evidence that forced academisation in itself improves performance.
“It is also obvious that there is not sufficient capacity within the system to find enough sponsors for these schools. As a result, many are left for far too long in a state of limbo as “orphan schools” unsure of their future.”