School leadership unions in England have declared no confidence in Ofsted and plan to hold strike ballots unless the inspection regime's impact on staff wellbeing is addressed.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), representing senior leaders across many secondary schools, called Ofsted's inspection system "an overbearing mess." The union urged the government to pause inspections to prevent teachers from leaving the profession.
Unions have linked the inspection regime to "significant wellbeing issues" among staff. They framed industrial action as a response to government failure to fix the system rather than as a first resort.
This marks an escalation in tensions between England's headteachers and Ofsted, the schools watchdog. The ASCL's no-confidence declaration signals that school leaders believe the current inspection approach is unsustainable and harmful to workforce retention.
The unions did not specify a timeline for strike ballots or provide details about which schools or roles might be included in any action. The source material does not indicate whether other education unions have made similar declarations or what specific inspection practices the ASCL considers most damaging to wellbeing.