Teachers from NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union are calling for Ofsted to be scrapped and replaced with a new, more supportive body.
Members of the union have voted to lobby for the change at their 2026 Annual Conference after asserting that Ofsted is “beyond reform.”
In late 2025, Ofsted launched its new “report card” inspection model, which has failed to deliver promised improvements to inspection and accountability systems for schools.
In a survey of more than 1000 teachers, 75% told NASUWT that the new inspection system did not address concerns with the previous system, 78% said they did not think the new system would lead to fairer inspections, and 87% said they thought it would increase their workload. 73% said they believed the new system would harm teachers’ wellbeing.
One NASUWT member said: “We had a practice inspection this week with current inspectors and it was by far the worst experience I have ever had in my twenty years of teaching. I am seriously considering leaving teaching for good.”
The launch of the new inspection system provoked a litany of controversies in the education sphere, including:
- A Coroner’s report found that Ofsted’s practices contributed to the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry, but while Ofsted commissioned an independent review on the impact of its new proposals on teacher wellbeing, the review’s findings were not made widely available for scrutiny.
- Though Ofsted commissioned a “Big Listen” consultation in order to inform its new inspection model, the final consultation response focused far more on parent expectations than the wellbeing of teachers.
- Ofsted failed at every opportunity to engage with unions during the consultation process, and when unions asked Ofsted to delay their new system launch to allow for pilot schemes, they were ignored.
“The Teachers’ Union conference has made a very clear decision. Teacher do not have confidence in Ofsted. It is not fit for purpose.
“The last thing the education system needed was a rushed rebrand of Ofsted, but that’s exactly what we’ve got.
“Ofsted contributed to the death of a beloved headteacher. It has destroyed the mental health of far too many teachers, and in some cases, their entire careers. We will no longer tolerate its performative tyranny, which comes at the expense of teachers’ health and wellbeing.
“We are calling for Ofsted to be scrapped and replaced with a new body designed around best practice data and meaningful support for teachers, leaders and schools. Teachers and their communities deserve innovation – not a disdainful, box-ticking rehash.”
