Ofsted Inspections Not to Take Place During Strikes

School inspections will not take place on strike days in February and March, Ofsted has said.

Despite this, a school leaders’ union is calling on the watchdog to pause all inspections during strike weeks. This is to allow heads the “time and space to manage the implications of industrial action”.

Sector Response

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“We welcome this sensible decision not to inspect schools on strike days, and the extension of Ofsted’s notification period so that notifications of inspections do not come on days of planned industrial action.

“It is our view that there should be no inspections at all during strike weeks. School and college leaders must be allowed the time and space to manage the implications of industrial action without the additional pressure of an inspection that could be done at another time and under more typical circumstances. We will be making this case to Ofsted.”