An independent survey commissioned by Ofsted found that England's revised school inspection regime continues to harm teacher and leader mental health, despite efforts to reduce inspection-related stress.
The survey of school leaders who underwent revised inspections in the past year showed 88% reported the process "negatively affected" the mental wellbeing of school staff. Nearly a third of respondents, 29%, said inspections affected staff mental health "a lot".
The findings come from Ofsted's own commissioned research and suggest the regulator's attempts to make inspections less damaging have had limited effect. The revised inspection regime, introduced last year, was intended to address long-standing concerns about the toll inspections take on school workforces.
The scale of reported harm indicates persistent problems despite the changes. Ofsted's decision to commission the independent survey suggests the regulator has sought external validation of the revised process. The results instead suggest the new approach has not substantially reduced the wellbeing impact on teachers and senior leaders.
Teachers and school leaders have long cited inspection visits as a significant source of workplace stress. The new survey provides quantified evidence that this remains true under the revised system, with nine in ten heads reporting negative mental health effects across their staff.