Ofsted reforms need to be paused
By IOE Blog Editor, on 1 July 2025

Credit: Mat Wright for UCL IOE.
1 July 2025
By Jane Perryman and Alice Bradbury
In June, Ofsted announced a delay in the publication of its formal response to the 2025 consultation on inspection reforms, until September. Despite this, the inspectorate is pressing ahead with its plan to introduce new ‘report card’-style inspections in November. Originally, Ofsted was expected to publish its response during the summer term, giving schools a full term to digest and prepare for the new framework. Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has cited the ‘scale of feedback’ as the reason for the delay.
As authors of the Beyond Ofsted inquiry report, we have joined teachers, leaders and education unions in a call for a pause to the process – the latest such call being a joint letter to the Secretary of State from four unions. As a reminder, this reform came as a direct response to an inquest which concluded that Ofsted inspection had contributed to the mental health deterioration and death of a headteacher, Ruth Perry. Perry had committed suicide whilst awaiting publication of an inspection report downgrading her previously ‘outstanding’ school to ‘requires improvement’. Her suicide brought to the forefront of public discourse concerns about Ofsted and its effects. (more…)