Teachers Talk Radio

This week, multiple reports paint a picture of a watchdog under pressure, with school leaders questioning Ofsted’s leadership, unions losing confidence, and serious concerns mounting over the impact of inspections on school leadership and staff wellbeing.

An independent study has found that almost nine in ten schools reported a negative impact on staff mental health following inspection, while ASCL has passed a vote of no confidence in Ofsted’s leadership and is considering industrial action. It is clear that Ofsted face a growing revolt.

Meanwhile, however, the chief inspector insists the watchdog is “on the right track”, even as the education secretary, Lucy Powell, calls for a rethink.

So, how did Ofsted reach this point after supposed reflection and overhaul? Has its new inspection framework failed to address longstanding concerns? Can the organisation ever rebuild trust or credibility with the profession? Or is this the beginning of a much bigger reckoning over the purpose, power and future of school inspection?

If Ofsted is meant to help schools improve, what happens when the inspection system itself becomes part of the problem?

Join Carl Smith, Rae Whitehouse, Maud Waret and Liz Webb on this morning’s panel, live at 10am, to share your burning views on Ofsted.

Are classrooms becoming politically biased, or are teachers being dragged into another political row? Tonight on Points of View, we debate Laura Trott’s claim that some teaching on equality, citizenship and identity amounts to “propaganda that’s brainwashing our children”. The Conservatives are proposing compulsory impartiality training, greater Ofsted scrutiny and a ban on school “culture” or “identity” days. Education leaders have condemned the comments as deeply insulting to teachers. Where is the line between teaching controversial issues and promoting political views? Would these proposals protect pupils or make teachers afraid to tackle difficult subjects? And who gets to decide what counts as impartial? 

On th panel: Liz Webb, Tom Rogers, JP, Yasmin Omar and Alun Ebenezer.

The teaching profession is tough in the UK with high workload, sustained accountability pressures and increasing levels of student need. But how do the pressures in the UK compare to those overseas? Perhaps we have some reasons to be thankful? Join Yannick and Tony as they delve into some of the biggest challenges faced by other countries currently and reflect on why some aspects of UK education might not be as bad as perhaps they could be.

We talk the countdown to half-term and how to deal with performance anxiety and any conflict at work. Not to be missed. We'll talk it out and take care of mental health along the way.

A major DfE survey "Growing up in the 2020s" has found that 31% of students affected by bullying said that staff were aware, with 33% saying they were not and 36% being unsure.

The survey, conducted by UCL and the Anna Freud Centre, will follow 8000 students in England, currently aged 12 and 13, through their secondary school experience. The results reported are the first collected.

The survey also revealed that girls and students with SEND were least likely to feel a sense of belonging. Students with SEND were more likely to experience bullying, with 11% reporting daily or weekly physical bullying, and 20% reporting regular occurrences of other forms of bullying, such as exclusion from friendship groups and name-calling.

The findings also show significant statistics on lesson disruption, absence, mental health, and perceived fairness. On Points of View tonight, the panel will discuss what the survey's findings mean. Does it raise important questions about how we understand bullying in schools? What can schools do to address the issues raised by the survey?

What additional support might be needed for those who are struggling to build friendships?

Join Michael Wright, Maud Waret, Ollie Bayliss and Liz Webb for this episode of Points of View.