Ofsted survey of parents ‘misses the point’, says NAHT
On the proposals currently out for consultation, 78% of parents surveyed agreed the information in report cards would be useful to them
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said that Ofsted has “rather missed the point” with its latest survey, which aimed to find parents’ opinions on the proposed changes for report cards.
The YouGov survey of 1,090 parents, which was revealed today (26 March), coincides with the current consultation on improving education inspection.
Some 79% of those surveyed said they already trust what Ofsted says about a school in inspection reports, and 66% are in support of Ofsted continuing to grade schools on a scale. Only 10% of parents said they were opposed.
On the proposals currently out for consultation, 78% of parents surveyed agreed the information in report cards would be useful to them. The same proportion said the new cards “would make it easy to compare schools”.
Meanwhile, 86% said report cards were easy to understand and 84% found the use of colour coding helpful.
NAHT general secretary, Paul Whiteman, responded to these findings saying that while some parents may find colour coding useful, “it will matter very little if the grades and judgements are as unreliable as most professionals expect they will be”.
Overall, 67% of the parents who participated in Ofsted’s survey said they prefer the new report cards over current inspection reports, while just 15% said they preferred the current reports.
However, Whiteman has expressed his worries that by extending the number of areas for judgement in report cards, schools would be under more pressure, “making it almost impossible for inspectors to reach a reliable judgement in just two days”.
When asked which of the 11 proposed evaluation areas for schools they considered to be the most useful, approximately half of parents ranked behaviour and attitudes highest (51%), followed closely by personal development and well-being (48%), then safeguarding (41%) and achievement (35%).
Whitehead added: “It would be interesting to know whether the questions included any context about the enormous harm the high-stakes inspection regime does to the wellbeing of dedicated school leaders and their staff, impacting their ability to deliver for pupils and desire to stay in the profession. Had parents been asked whether they supported such outcomes, the answer would surely have overwhelmingly been ‘no’.
“Ofsted also appears to have offered parents a false choice but only asking they prefer the new proposals to the existing system. There are many other options that should be considered as part of a proper consultation. Once again, it appears Ofsted are more interested in convincing people it is right than actually listening. If Ofsted and the government are serious about creating a framework which truly meets the needs of parents and their children, these plans need a really significant rethink, working much more closely with the profession.”