Commenting as Ofsted announces an engagement programme ahead of the introduction of a new inspection framework in November, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Ofsted is increasingly looking like a ship ploughing ahead into a storm, ignoring all the weather warnings and cracked hull reports from below deck.

“Yet again it appears to have completely ignored what the sector has said about the timing of the new inspection regime – for all the talk of listening, the preference now seems to be to dismiss and press ahead regardless.

“The idea that a completely new approach to inspection can be rolled out next term when it hasn’t even been finalised yet, is for the birds. Ofsted still hasn’t managed to publish the response to its own consultation and this is very much a case of putting the cart before the horse.

“It is absolutely right that there should be webinars and presentations for school leaders who will be on the receiving end of another new inspection regime, but the focus right now should be on getting the proposals in the right place. We are a long way from that point as things stand.”