Ofsted chief faces new year committee grilling

Sir Martyn Oliver to face MPs over progress in addressing coroner's concerns following death of Ruth Perry

Sir Martyn Oliver to face MPs over progress in addressing coroner's concerns following death of Ruth Perry

MPs will question Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver next week on the watchdog’s progress in addressing concerns raised by a coroner following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Oliver, who has just marked one year in the role, will appear in front of the Parliamentary education committee on Tuesday, alongside national education director Lee Owston and national regulation and social care director Yvette Stanley.

Just weeks before Oliver took the helm, a coroner ruled that an inspection at Caversham Primary School, Reading, had contributed to the death of Perry in 2022.

At the time, coroner Heidi Connor warned there was a “risk of future deaths if there is only lip service paid to learning from tragedies like this”.

The committee said it would “scrutinise Sir Martyn’s progress in addressing the coroner’s concerns, implementing the previous committee’s recommendations, and responding to the inspectorate’s own Big Listen public consultation”.

MPs will ask about new report cards

In September 2024, the new government axed single-phrase headline judgments for schools with immediate effect. It plans to remove them for FE and skills providers in September 2025. Ofsted is currently developing plans to replace current inspection reports with a system of report cards. 

Last month, the watchdog announced it will soon trial “a new approach to inspections” ahead of a consultation on its new inspection framework, which is likely to include longer notice periods for providers and “proportionate” inspection teams.

Committee chair Helen Hayes
Committee chair Helen Hayes

MPs will ask Oliver about “forthcoming changes such as the use of report cards instead of Ofsted’s single-word judgements from September 2025, and improving scrutiny of how schools manage to be inclusive to pupils with SEND”. 

A spokesperson for the committee added: “He will also be asked about new government proposals for schools to receive shorter annual reviews of their safeguarding practices, and for Ofsted to gain new powers to inspect multi-academy trusts – both policies recommended by the previous committee.

“There may be questions on changes that appear to be outstanding, such as setting a new time frame for publishing reports following the inspection of a school, and how Ofsted will ensure its inspectors have specialist knowledge of the subjects and lessons they observe.”

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