Ofsted ‘actively penalising’ colleges extra inclusive to Send pupils, headteachers’ union warns | EUROtoday

Ofsted’s new report card system is “actively penalising” colleges extra inclusive of pupils with particular academic wants and disabilities (Send), a headteachers’ union has warned.

Analysis by the NAHT headteachers’ union of current Ofsted inspections discovered one in 5 (20%) colleges with above-average Send pupils had been judged “needs attention” – the second-lowest grade – for attendance and behavior.

This contrasts with only one in ten (9%) of colleges with fewer Send pupils receiving the identical evaluation, the NAHT mentioned.

The findings emerge after the federal government unveiled sweeping reforms to the Send system, aiming for larger inclusivity in colleges.

NAHT common secretary Paul Whiteman mentioned the findings ought to “ring serious alarm bells” for the Government’s ambitions for extra pupils with Send to study in mainstream colleges.

The union’s evaluation of 662 Ofsted stories additionally discovered {that a} third of colleges inspected the place there have been an above common variety of pupils eligible without cost faculty meals obtained a “needs attention” grade for the report card’s achievement part, in contrast with lower than one in 5 (18%) of colleges with beneath common numbers of scholars eligible without cost faculty meals.

Furthermore, the NAHT mentioned practically one in 4 (23%) colleges with above common pupil eligibility without cost faculty meals have obtained a “needs attention” grade for attendance and behavior, in contrast with one in 10 (10%) colleges with beneath common eligibility.

Mr Whiteman mentioned: “For a long time there have been well-founded concerns that successive Ofsted frameworks have penalised schools serving communities with higher levels of deprivation. Rather than fix that issue, the new framework appears to have compounded it.”

Schools serving essentially the most disadvantaged communities face an “uphill battle”, he added.

“There is no lack of ambition on the part of school leaders – they all want every individual pupil and student to achieve the very best outcomes they are capable of. But we also have to recognise that, due to context, for some schools that is a significantly greater challenge than others,” Mr Whiteman mentioned.

“Recognising the challenges and barriers to pupils’ progress is to engage with their lived reality. It does not signal any kind of ‘bigotry of low expectations’, as Ofsted’s HM Chief Inspector has claimed.

“Under Ofsted’s system, schools may do an incredible job in helping pupils who face all manner of challenges in their lives to progress from a poor starting point but still be marked down if overall test scores are below national averages. It’s hard to imagine anything more demoralising for leaders and teachers.

“Not only are these lower grades unfair for schools that operate in more deprived areas, they also actively penalise those that are more inclusive for pupils with Send. Furthermore, it risks discouraging leaders and teachers from going to work in the very schools that need them the most.

“This should ring serious alarm bells for the Government’s stated White Paper ambition for more pupils with Send to be educated in mainstream schools.”

The Press Association understands Ofsted will publish its personal information on the primary set of inspections beneath the brand new framework subsequent month.

Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chairwoman of the Local Government Association’s youngsters, younger individuals and households committee, mentioned it is important youngsters with Send who require help obtain this in mainstream colleges for the Government’s reforms to succeed.

“Ofsted’s inspection framework should place greater focus on inclusive practice and whether an individual school meets the needs of the community that it serves when inspected,” she added.

The new Ofsted report playing cards have been in place since November 2025. The former single phrase judgments had been scrapped following the loss of life of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Under the report playing cards, colleges obtain one among 5 grades throughout numerous areas. Schools don’t get an general grade.

Unions have warned the brand new system may very well be detrimental for the psychological well being of college employees. The NAHT had tried to launch a authorized problem to the brand new system, which was dismissed on the High Court.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has beforehand mentioned Ofsted will recognise the place a faculty is doing nicely regardless of contextual challenges, however won’t downplay “disappointing outcomes”.

NAHT members will debate a movement on the union’s annual convention in Belfast calling on their govt to foyer for the Government to evaluation efficiency measures for colleges to ensure they help inclusion for Send youngsters.

They can even debate a second movement which says the adjustments to the Ofsted inspection system haven’t addressed “longstanding concerns”. This movement calls on the union’s govt to discover “legal, industrial and campaigning” methods to problem the brand new system.

Ofsted was approached for remark.