Ofsted’s revised framework: harmful, unsafe and unworkable

Ofsted’s revised inspection framework, due to take effect from 10 November 2025, continues to put school staff well-being at risk. An independent impact assessment confirmed what leaders have long said: the system is unsafe, unfair and unsustainable.

The reforms were meant to address these risks following the tragic suicide of head teacher Ruth Perry in 2023, which a coroner found was contributed to by an Ofsted inspection. Yet the new proposals fail to fix the problem, adding pressure, workload, anxiety and stress while doing little to improve schools.

Despite widespread warnings, Ofsted has pushed ahead with proposals that:

• Ignore the profession’s concerns
• Maintain a harmful grading system that reduces a school to a simplistic score, rather than recognising its complexity
• Increase risks to staff health, with almost all school leaders (91%) saying the framework will damage their mental well-being
• Erode trust, leaving staff feeling unsupported rather than encouraged to improve.

In short, this framework does not help schools get better. It drives fear and stress, which harms both staff and the children they care for.

Instead of a framework that judges and punishes, we need one that:

• Prioritises staff well-being, recognising that healthy, supported leaders create thriving schools
• Encourages collaboration, like in Wales and Northern Ireland, where inspections are designed to help schools grow
• Provides independent accountability without reducing schools to simplistic labels
• Builds trust by working with, not against, the profession.

A better system is possible. Other parts of the UK already use more constructive, less damaging approaches. We want a model that values schools as communities of learning and improvement, not just organisations waiting to be judged.

We’re calling on Ofsted to halt the introduction of its revised framework and rethink its approach.

If you agree that change needs to happen and that we must protect the professionals who dedicate themselves to our children, there are ways to take action:

• If you work in a school, use this letter template to write to your employer, asking what steps they will take to safeguard staff well-being under the new framework
• Everyone can share our campaign video and messages on social media to raise awareness and show support for school leaders.

This is just the first step. As the campaign progresses, more ways to take action will be shared, giving everyone the chance to help push for a fairer, safer inspection system.

Together, we can ensure inspections support staff, improve schools and put well-being at the heart of education.

We are taking decisive action to protect the people who dedicate their lives to our children. This includes legal action to challenge Ofsted over the serious risks the new framework poses to the mental health and well-being of school leaders and staff.

At the same time, we are engaging in intensive discussions with the government, urging it to step in before these damaging plans are rolled out.

Our goal is clear: to ensure that inspections support school leaders, safeguard well-being and create a system that truly helps schools improve.