Committee publication · Correspondence · 23 June 2026
Letter from Ofsted Coalition on Education Committee Ofsted accountability session dated 19.06.26
From: Education Committee
Inquiry: The work of the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)
Summary
The Ofsted Coalition, comprising school leaders, unions, researchers and suicide prevention experts, writes to the Education Committee ahead of its Ofsted accountability hearing. The letter frames ongoing psychological distress among school leaders linked to inspection as a health and safety issue requiring urgent action. It argues that known risks of serious harm must be eliminated or reduced as far as reasonably practicable, and contends that key recommendations from prior reviews remain only partially implemented.
Key findings
- School leaders report acute anxiety, stress-related illness, burnout and deterioration in mental wellbeing associated with inspection, a pattern predating Ruth Perry's death and extending far beyond isolated events.
- The Coalition argues the current inspection system lacks demonstrated psychological safety and questions whether the level of risk is proportionate to public benefit, invoking the precautionary principle pending evidence of safety.
- Concerns remain that underlying risks identified by the Coroner, Education Select Committee, Dame Christine Gilbert and Sinead McBrearty have not been fully addressed despite recent reforms.
- School leaders report that inspection outcomes vary by inspector composition, undermining confidence and increasing anxiety; inspection has become a de facto high-stakes performance evaluation of individual leaders rather than schools, creating disproportionate psychological burden.
- A climate of fear exists in which school leaders fear personal and professional consequences for raising concerns about Ofsted, indicating a serious breakdown in trust between inspectorate and profession; a fully independent complaints system is needed urgently.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Ofsted Coalition, Education Committee, His Majesty's Chief Inspector, Ruth Perry, Dame Christine Gilbert, Sinead McBrearty, Ian Widdows, IFF Research
Notable line
“Unless the inspection system is treated as a serious health and safety issue, there remains a very real risk that school leaders will continue to suffer severe harm, or worse …”
Key Quotes
“The concern, therefore, is not only that inspection is inherently stressful, but also that the additional burden created by the current system appears to exceed what can reasonably be justified given the reported evidence of harm.”
“If any other workplace system were associated with repeated reports of acute psychological distress, suicidal ideation and deaths linked to that system, there would rightly be immediate scrutiny of whether it could continue in its current form.”
“We are not aware of any published evidence demonstrating that the current inspection system is psychologically safe for those subject to it. In the absence of such evidence, and in the presence of credible reports of serious harm, we believe the precautionary principle should apply.”
“… it is clear that relations between Ofsted and the school sector, teachers, and leaders have become extremely strained and that trust in the inspectorate is worryingly low.”
“School leaders frequently report that outcomes can vary depending on the composition of the inspection team and individual inspectors. The widely expressed view that "it depends who you get on the day" undermines confidence in the system and increases anxiety associated with inspection.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗