‘Judge me on what happens in September’ says Ofsted chief

Sir Martyn Oliver says he only put out 'foundations' of a plan because sector demanded 'urgent' reform

Sir Martyn Oliver says he only put out 'foundations' of a plan because sector demanded 'urgent' reform

Sir Martyn Oliver has said he should be judged on updated Ofsted reforms due to be released in September, admitting he only put out “foundations” of a plan originally because the sector demanded “urgent” reform.

The chief inspector has been widely criticised for the rushed nature of plans for new report cards and a new inspection framework.

It also emerged recently Ofsted won’t respond to its own consultation until September, giving leaders just weeks to digest the proposals before inspections resume in November – despite a previous pledge from the inspectorate that providers would get a full term’s notice.

Speaking at the Festival of Education this morning, Oliver was asked how his aim of rebuilding trust with the sector was going.

He said it had “gone to a certain level”, but added that “until we publish the document, there is nothing anyone else can do. And that is a difficult, difficult state.”

On the report card plans, Oliver said Ofsted “could have taken another one or two more years, but that wasn’t what the system was saying.

“The system was saying Ofsted needed urgent and quick reform. And so I chose to put something out that I knew would be just the beginnings, just the foundations.”

‘People will understand better in September’

He pointed to the watchdog’s testing of the proposals.

“I think we’ve done something like 234 test visits in the period between publishing that document and where we are today, and the amount of work that we’ve done to listen to teachers, to shape and to change. We’re taking that time to just get it absolutely right.

“And I think in September, some of the things that I originally set out to achieve, when I get a chance to explain them, I think people will understand better, and hopefully it will begin to rebuild that trust.”

Ofsted had originally pledged to give education settings a notice period “equivalent to one term between the publication of our post-consultation response and inspection materials and the start of education inspections”.

But with its firm plans now not coming until September, leaders have warned they will have just weeks to prepare for the new regime. Angry education union leaders wrote to education secretary Bridget Phillipson last week calling for new-style inspections to be introduced at the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

Oliver said he was “sorry” for the lack of notice, but said Ofsted had “never ever” paused inspection during development of a new framework before, as it will between September and November.

Would he as a leader be happy with just a few weeks’ notice?

“Well, it depends on what you see, what comes out from what I’m about to produce in September, which…I’m still at the state of finalising. And I can’t really go into until that point, but I think in September, judge me by what comes out and what you read then at that point.”

Latest education roles from

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Principal & Chief Executive – Bath College

Dodd Partners

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Reshaping the New Green Skills Landscape

The UK government is embarking on a transformative journey to reshape its skills landscape, placing a significant emphasis on...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Safe to speak, ready to act: SaferSpace targets harassment and misconduct in education 

In an era where safeguarding and compliance are firmly in the spotlight, education providers face a growing responsibility: to...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Screening for the cognitive needs of apprentices is essential – does it matter if the process is engaging?

Engagement should be the first priority in cognitive assessment. An engaging assessment is an inclusive assessment — when cognitive...

Advertorial
Sponsored post

Skills Bootcamps Are Changing – What FE Colleges Must Know 

Skills Bootcamps are evolving as funding moves to local control and digital skills trends shift. Code Institute, an Ofsted...

Code Institute

More from this theme

Colleges, Ofsted

Burnley College inflated achievement rates, Ofsted reveals

Inspectors slam governors for not questioning ‘exceptionally high’ QARs

Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

Oliver: Postponing Ofsted inspections too risky

Chief inspector rejects calls to delay new inspection regime

Shane Chowen
Ofsted

Ofsted pledges specialist inspectors for most visits from November

All FE inspections will also be led by either current or recent HMIs, says the watchdog

Anviksha Patel
Ofsted

Ofsted: Unions consider asking leaders to quit as inspectors

Leadership unions warn they will take the 'unprecedented step' unless watchdog changes course over inspection plans

FE Week Reporter

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *