The school system in England is in trouble. Years of austerity have left education in a state of decline, with mounting challenges that cannot be ignored.
While some point to international rankings or a handful of successful schools as evidence of progress, the reality for most students, teachers and school leaders is very different.
Problems everywhere in education
The SEND system, introduced with the 2014 Code of Practice, is a case in point. A decade later, it has resulted in a staggering £4 billion deficit within the , forcing the previous government to implement financial manoeuvres to prevent the majority of councils from going bankrupt.
School infrastructure is crumbling due to chronic underinvestment, while the education system remains fragmented - half of schools are academies, the other half still under local authority control.
Meanwhile, a profession that has gone far beyond just teaching - now acting as a de facto emergency service to cover the failures of the social care system - has endured a decade of pay restraint. Unsurprisingly, recruitment and retention of teachers have reached crisis levels.
The disadvantage gap has never been wider, with stark regional disparities that cannot be ignored, while more than 1,000 secondary schools have both a negative Progress 8 score and a three-year trend of declining attainment.
The average proportion of students attaining grade 5+ in English and maths GCSE is now 34 per cent. Simply put, we have too many children leaving our school system with the door to opportunity and freedom shut and the lock firmly bolted.
Changes to Ofsted inspection
This is where Ofsted’s new consultation comes in. The watchdog has faced intense criticism in recent years - criticism that is fully justified.
The tragic case of Ruth Perry exposed the harsh reality of an inspection system that has too often prioritised high-stakes, single-word judgements over meaningful school improvement. Many school leaders have spoken of an inspection culture that felt more like the sword of Damocles hanging over them than a process designed to drive positive change.
However, here’s the reality: education needs a regulator. The challenge is not whether we have one but what kind of regulator Ofsted should be.
There is much in this consultation that raises real concerns, and it would be easy to join the chorus of voices rejecting it outright before even fully understanding the detail.
However, if we want a better system, we have to engage with it. We must contribute, challenge and help to shape an inspection framework that serves schools rather than punishes them.
Phillipson’s focus on raising standards
What is eminently apparent, though, is the education secretary’s focus on raising standards.
In her speech at the Centre for Social Justice, she made it clear that too many schools (600, in fact) that have been “stuck” in underperformance, often serving the most disadvantaged communities, must improve.
This stems from a view that education, done right, is the path to freedom, dignity and progress. That message cannot be ignored.
The details of policy are still up for debate but the direction of travel is evident: this government will not allow persistent underperformance to continue unchecked.
A key question will be whether Sir Martyn Oliver can deliver an inspectorate that can realise Bridget Phillipson’s vision for better standards in schools.
Working together
There is no silver bullet to fix a system that has been left to struggle for so long.
The problems are deeply entrenched, but if this consultation marks the beginning of a serious conversation about reforming Ofsted, rather than just another cycle of political posturing, then it’s a conversation we need to have.
The biggest mistake we could make right now is to assume that Ofsted, the government or any single body has all the answers. They don’t. But neither do we if we refuse to engage.
This is the moment to step forward, challenge constructively and shape the future of school accountability, rather than just reacting to it.
We stand at a critical juncture. The problems before us are vast, and the solutions are not simple.
But if we are to honour the struggles of the weakest and most vulnerable children in our education system, we must engage constructively with the process, challenge injustice and shape the future; not merely for ourselves, but for the generations to come.
Solving education’s most complex problem is going to be hard-won, but it is the only path worth taking.
Andrew O’Neill is headteacher of All Saints Catholic College in London
For the latest education news and analysis delivered every weekday morning, sign up for the Tes Daily newsletter
