Fury as watchdog digs in on ‘low expectations’ barb
Ofsted chief inspector Martyn Oliver has been blasted for an “incendiary” speech to school leaders, as headteachers insist schools’ contexts are not being adequately considered in inspections. Oliver told the ASCL conference on Friday he would “never acquiesce to the quiet curse of low expectations that would see Ofsted prioritise context over outcomes for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children”. He claimed that where disadvantaged and vulnerable children are underperforming, critics “argue we should recognise the work and the effort – and downplay disappointing outcomes. “Of course we will recognise the work, celebrate where that school is doing well and identify the contextual challenges being faced. But we can never downplay the disappointing outcomes.” The comments have been widely condemned by leaders and unions, amid growing frustration at Ofsted’s use of national averages in new report cards. Leaders claim the new framework is unfair on schools with higher levels of disadvantage and SEND. But Ofsted argued this week the entire point of Oliver’s speech was to “take-on the claims that Ofsted is not doing enough …


