New NAHT president calls for schools to remove Ofsted banners and logos
by Educate Magazine April 28, 2023 · Education News
Speaking at school leaders’ union NAHT’s Annual Conference in Telford today (Fri 28 April), new NAHT President Elect, Simon Kidwell, will say that Ofsted ‘do more harm than good.’
Addressing 400 school leader delegates at 3pm, Mr Kidwell will say: “My most recent Ofsted inspection was last week.
“It was a graded inspection with several inspectors working excessive hours and leaving no stone unturned.
“The process was led by a highly skilled lead inspector who conducted the inspection with intelligence and humanity, but despite her approach it still almost broke two valuable and brilliant members of staff.
“I know we will all have our own stories to tell about how the punitive accountability system has affected us personally.
“My own physical health has been impacted by the job – 16 months ago I was rushed into hospital and for three days was signed off work, because of physical complications that doctors thought was directly caused by the stresses and pressures of work.
“Ruth [Perry]’s death has sadly made me question if I have enough in the tank to lead my school through another Ofsted cycle.”
Ruth Perry, of Caversham Primary School in Reading, took her own life in January after a crucial Ofsted report. Over the two days of NAHT’s Annual Conference (28-29 April), delegates will hear from speakers including Ruth Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters.
Simon will continue: “Let me be clear, Ofsted does not raise standards. It is the tireless work of the staff in schools that does that. At best, Ofsted offers little more than a snapshot of a school’s performance, and there are serious questions about how well it can do even that.
Other speakers will include shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson and NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman. They will also debate and vote on a wide variety of motions, including the pay dispute and Ofsted.
Mr Kidwell’s speech will be livestreamed at 3pm on Friday 28th April 2023 on NAHT’s social media platforms, including Twitter (@NAHTnews). The full speech text is available on request.
Simon Kidwell officially becomes NAHT President in September, in a change to the timing of the union’s usual presidential year. He therefore becomes NAHT President Elect today (Friday 28 April), and he and current NAHT President Dr Paul Gosling will continue in the role concurrently until September.
