The National Executive Committee of school leaders' union NAHT has today voted to call for fundamental reform of Ofsted and a change in the inspectorate's leadership, concluding that confidence in Ofsted's ability to restore trust with the profession has been lost.

The committee agreed that the harmful impact of Ofsted's inspection regime and culture on the wellbeing of school leaders and their staff is now well established, and that efforts to reform the inspectorate have failed to address deep-rooted concerns across the profession.

The National Executive Committee has also delegated authority to NAHT's General Secretary and National Officers to take whatever action is necessary to secure immediate relief for school leaders and to achieve lasting reform of the inspection system.

This includes consideration of all options available to the union in pursuing change – up to and including balloting for industrial action.

The committee further noted that concerns about Ofsted's leadership and direction are increasingly being shared across the education sector, welcoming recent public statements from ASCL, NGA and NEU expressing a loss of confidence in the inspectorate.

The statement in full

At a meeting of the national executive of the NAHT today (Thurs 15 October), it was resolved to congratulate and commend ASCL, NGA and NEU for their recent statements declaring their loss of confidence in Ofsted and its leadership.

The deleterious impact of the inspection framework and the culture of Ofsted towards the health and wellbeing of school leaders and their teams is now well documented. We consider the approach of Ofsted to the reform of inspection has been dishonest and deficient. Right from the deficient “Big Listen”, the failure to publish the full results of that consultation, and the outrageous spin applied to the IFF feedback last week is demonstrable of a culture of deliberate misdirection that has no place in public service.

NAHT pursued a Judicial review challenge in 2025, has continuously campaigned for safe and proportionate inspection before and since the review and renewal of the framework that was prompted by tragedy and a coroner’s prevention of future deaths report.

It is now clear that the collective representatives of school leadership not only hold the same opinion but are voicing this in public as the continuing damage committed by such a culture can no longer be tolerated.

This is no longer about further amendment to a bankrupt framework. The leadership and culture of Ofsted must change so that the government and the sector can engage, in an atmosphere of restored trust and good faith, to create an inspection system that is trusted by the sector, valued by parents and the government.

The national executive committee therefore gives delegated authority to the General Secretary and National Officers of the union to take whatever actions are necessary to achieve the immediate relief needed by school leaders and engage with the government to achieve a lasting solution.