Ofsted Coalition

Aim

The Ofsted Coalition calls for reform to school inspections to a safe, fair, proportionate, accountable and humane accountability system.

The Ofsted Coalition brings together education professionals, researchers, leaders, suicide prevention campaigners and experts as well as unions and stakeholders who believe England’s school inspection system requires fundamental reform — not simply changes to frameworks or processes, but a wider shift in the philosophy, culture and accountability structures which underpin inspection.

We believe accountability matters. However, accountability systems should support improvement, professional trust and educational quality — not fear, performativity or, crucially, harm.

We are calling for an inspection system which is:

• Safe — recognising and minimising harm to staff, leaders and school communities;
• Accountable — with meaningful independent oversight and transparent routes for challenge and appeal;
• Fair — evidence-informed, consistent, context-sensitive and procedurally just;
• Proportionate — reducing unnecessary workload, performative practices and excessive high-stakes pressure;

…all grounded in a humane approach to school accountability.

The coalition supports practical and measurable reform, including:

• a robust, independent complaints and appeals process
• ongoing monitoring and evaluation into the well-being and organisational impact of inspection, including response to advice from suicide prevention experts
• greater transparency and accountability for all practices related to inspection
• reducing inspection-driven workload and performativity
• challenging the wider culture around a fear-based inspection system.

The coalition’s work is organised across four connected strands. These are:

• Research and Evidence
• Political and Policy Engagement
• Professional Action and
• Public Narrative and Campaigning
  
  

Our aim in this crowdfunder is to raise funds to support the work of the Coalition. It will allow further development of an online presence, member attendance at related meetings and, we hope, to provide funds which will support a significant series of events which will bring the attention of the public, the media, parliamentarians and policymakers to the arguments we are putting forward for change.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 11th November 2026 at 12:00pm