A major school leaders’ union has filed legal proceedings against Ofsted, claiming the inspectorate’s proposed new grading system could worsen the mental health of headteachers and school staff across England.
The NAHT (National Association of Head Teachers) submitted a judicial review application to the High Court on Friday, arguing that Ofsted failed to carry out sufficient consultation before unveiling its controversial new “report card” model.
The legal move comes just ahead of the union’s annual conference in Harrogate, North Yorkshire this weekend.
Under proposals first outlined in February, Ofsted plans to replace single overall judgments with a colour-coded five-point scale rating schools across 8 to 10 separate areas.
Schools would be ranked from “exemplary” (dark green) to “causing concern” (red), with gradings like “strong”, “secure” and “attention needed” in between.
NAHT leaders argue that the shift would increase the number of graded sub-judgments, intensifying high-stakes scrutiny and exacerbating stress and anxiety within the profession.
A motion set to be debated at Saturday’s conference calls for outright opposition to the rollout of the new system.
Delegates will also vote on whether to pursue all possible “legal and industrial options” to defend the physical and mental wellbeing of school staff.
The debate follows a wider backlash against Ofsted’s inspection regime, particularly after the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry in January 2023.
Mrs Perry took her own life after Caversham Primary School in Reading was downgraded from “outstanding” to “inadequate” due to safeguarding concerns.
In response to mounting public pressure, the government scrapped Ofsted’s controversial single-phrase summary grades last year.
On Monday, Ruth Perry’s sister, Julia Waters, joined educators in an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson urging a pause to the proposed inspection changes, citing the potential psychological impact on teachers and leaders.
