Accountability of Ofsted

On Wednesday 8 June, Julian Sturdy MP led a Westminster Hall debate entitled "Accountability of Ofsted".

To inform the debate, he asked to hear about your experiences of Ofsted inspections.

Several of your stories and points were raised during the debate:

Watch the full debate or read the transcript below to see:

• Further discussion of the survey responses
• Speeches by other MPs
• The Government's response.

Minister for School Standards, Mr Robin Walker MP responded to the debate. He addressed the Government’s current position on Ofsted and issues raised in the debate.   

Watch or read his full speech for details on a range of topics including:

• The outcomes of inspections this academic year

School inspection data summary report (IDSR) guide

• Lines of accountability as stipulated in the Education and Inspections Act 2006

• The Minister’s meetings with the Her Majesty’s chief inspector

• Evidence given to select committees by Her Majesty’s chief inspector, including a recent session on citizenship education:

House of Lords Liaison Committee: “Action needed to improve citizenship education and civic engagement opportunities Committee says”

• The independence of Ofsted to conduct and report its inspections 

• The results of post-inspection survey responses

Responses to post-inspection surveys: inspections and visits between 1 September 2021 and 30 November 2021

• The workload impact on teachers

• The section in Ofsted’s framework designed to address concerns about inspections

• Ofsted’s annual report and accounts documents outlining data on complaints about inspections

• The formal complaints procedure.

For an overview of Government policy, see a research briefing from the House of Commons Library:

School inspections in England: Ofsted

What is a Westminster Hall Debate?

Westminster Hall debates take place in the Grand Committee Room in the House of Commons.

They give MPs an opportunity to raise local or national issues and receive a response from a government minister. 

Debates in Westminster Hall take place on ‘general debate' motions expressed in neutral terms. These motions are worded ‘That this House has considered [a specific matter]'.  

How Parliament works: Westminster Hall debates.

How your contributions are shared

In these exercises, members of the public who have signed relevant petitions and who have subscribed to Parliament's newsletters are invited to share their experiences and ideas.

These are passed on to the MP leading the debate, who may refer to them directly in their speeches.

Find other petitions on the Petitions website, or see more examples of public contributions being used in debates below.

What happens next?

If you shared your email in the survey, we’ll send you an update after the debate with links to watch it, read the transcript, and information about the Government's response.

• Search hansard.parliament.uk for debates, oral statements, oral questions and more.

• Search questions-statements.parliament.uk for written questions, answers and written statements.

• Search committees.parliament.uk for information on committees, their inquiries and publications.