72% of head teachers say inspection got worse. Their union wants a pause
What happened
The union that represents most head teachers in England has called on the government to stop graded Ofsted inspections. The National Association of Head Teachers, the NAHT, launched a campaign called "We Demand Better" on 21 September 2026. Inspection is one of its demands. The others are funding, workload, recognition and pay. The union is asking ministers to halt graded inspections while the whole approach is reviewed. It wants grades replaced with what it describes as a short narrative report setting out a school's strengths and the areas where it needs to develop. A pause, the NAHT argues, would give the government time to design something new, "fair, effective and supports school improvement", working properly with the profession rather than around it. The union backed the call with a survey of more than 5,000 of its members, carried out in June. Asked how the direction of school inspection had changed over the past 12 months, 72% said it had got worse. Within that figure, 33% said it had greatly worsened and 39% said it had worsened. Another 22% reported no significant change. Just 7% said it had improved. Paul Whiteman, the NAHT's general secretary, described the current system as "high-stakes, low-trust". He said it "poses a real and present danger" to the wellbeing of school leaders, and "possibly even a risk to life". Amanda Hulme, head teacher at Claypool Primary School in Bolton, described her own experience of inspection: "It was definitely damaging to my health and really quite distressing." The Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, has said she wants the inspection system to be "much more supportive and understanding". Ofsted's position is clear. It has said it will continue grading schools, and it will not be pausing inspections.
Why this matters
Inspection shapes far more of school life than most parents see. An Ofsted judgement affects how a school is talked about locally, whether families choose it, how easy it is to recruit staff, and in some cases whether the school's leadership survives. That is a lot of weight resting on a short visit. The concern about wellbeing is not new, and it is not abstract. The death of head teacher Ruth Perry in 2023 brought national attention to the pressure inspection can place on school leaders. A coroner concluded that her death was likely contributed to by an Ofsted inspection, and found that parts of that inspection lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity. Her sister, Julia Waters, has campaigned on the issue since, and supports this call. Changes have been made since then. But this survey suggests that, in the view of most head teachers responding, the direction of travel over the past year has been backwards rather than forwards. There is a genuine disagreement underneath this, and it is worth stating both sides fairly. The case for grades is that parents want a clear, comparable signal about their local schools, and that inspection with consequences is one of the few levers for improving schools that are failing children. Remove the grade and you arguably remove the pressure. The case against is that a single label cannot describe a complex institution, that it drives schools to manage the inspection rather than educate children, and that the cost, in stress and in people leaving the profession, is too high for what it delivers. What is not in dispute is that there is a serious recruitment and retention problem in school leadership, and that inspection is repeatedly named by leaders as one of the reasons.
What the evidence actually says
The survey is worth reading carefully, because the headline figure is strong but the method has limits. More than 5,000 responses is a large number. That is a real strength. But this is a survey of members of a union that is campaigning on this issue, conducted by that union. People who feel strongly are more likely to respond to a survey about something they feel strongly about. That does not make the responses false. It does mean the figures probably represent the views of engaged NAHT members rather than a neutral sample of all school leaders in England. The question asked about the direction of change over 12 months, not about inspection in absolute terms. So 72% saying it got worse tells you about a trend as perceived by respondents. It does not measure whether inspection is better or worse than it was five years ago. The survey was carried out in June, and published in September. Things may have moved in between. What is solid is the strength of feeling, and the fact that it is coming from people who lead schools rather than from outside commentators. It is also consistent with a pattern that other surveys of school leaders have found repeatedly over several years. What there is no good evidence for, in either direction, is the central question: whether graded inspection actually improves outcomes for children more than an ungraded alternative would. That has never been properly tested in England, because there has never been a comparison to run.
Practical advice
If you are a parent, this dispute does not change anything you need to do. But a few things are worth knowing. An Ofsted grade is one source of information about a school, and a fairly narrow one. It reflects a visit lasting a couple of days, sometimes several years ago. Visiting the school, talking to staff, and talking to other parents will usually tell you more about whether it suits your child. If you want to read more than the headline, the full inspection report is published on Ofsted's website and is usually more informative than the grade. Parents can give their views to inspectors during an inspection through Ofsted Parent View, and can do so at any time. If you work in a school and are struggling, the charity Education Support runs a free and confidential helpline for education staff across the UK, available day and night on 08000 562 561. Your union will also have support available. If you or someone you know is in distress, the Samaritans can be contacted free at any time on 116 123. And if you are a governor, the wellbeing of your head teacher is something you can legitimately ask about and act on. It is not a soft issue.
What to know
The NAHT, which represents most head teachers in England, launched a "We Demand Better" campaign on 21 September 2026 calling for graded Ofsted inspections to be halted while the system is reviewed, and for grades to be replaced with short narrative reports. Its survey of more than 5,000 members in June found 72% believed the direction of inspection had worsened over the past year, with 33% saying it had greatly worsened. Only 7% said it had improved. General secretary Paul Whiteman said the system poses a danger to school leaders' wellbeing. The Education Secretary has said she wants inspection to be more supportive. Ofsted has said it will not pause inspections and will continue grading schools. The survey was run by a union campaigning on the issue, so it reflects engaged members rather than a neutral sample. There is no good evidence either way on whether graded inspection improves outcomes for children more than an ungraded system would. Sources: Schools Week, "Ofsted: Union calls for inspections pause over wellbeing concerns", 21 September 2026, https://schoolsweek.co.uk/union-calls-for-ofsted-inspections-pause-over-wellbeing-concerns/; National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), https://www.naht.org.uk; Ofsted, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted This article is for general information about education policy. If you are struggling with your mental health, please speak to your GP, or contact Samaritans free on 116 123, or Education Support on 08000 562 561. It does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.
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