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Labour school reforms 'put unions above children', ex-Ofsted chief says as she calls on ministers to abandon plans
17 March 2025, 09:10 | Updated: 17 March 2025, 09:12
Labour's proposed changes to the education system "reflect a union agenda" rather than children's interests, the former head of Ofsted has claimed.
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Amanda Spielman told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast that the government's reforms, including changes that mean academies will have to teach the national curriculum and won't be able to hire teachers without specific qualifications, did not suggest "any analysis" had been done.
Ms Spielman told Nick: "I cannot find that there's any analysis of what's been good, what needs tweaking and adjusting. It simply, let's take it away.
"And of course it is the unions who are most hostile. Unions like centralisation, they have the greatest clout in systems that are most directly controlled by ministers.
"So my fear is that this is reflecting a union agenda rather than what is it that will make the best education for children?"
Watch Again: Nick Ferrari is joined by 'Britain's strictest headteacher' Katharine Birbalsingh to take your calls | 13/03/25
Ms Spielman said it was "hard to explain the comprehensiveness" of the changes any other way.
Changes are also coming to school inspections, with report cards instead of one- or two-word judgements. The changes are being brought in from the autumn term. Ms Spielman called this " a dilution of accountability".
Ms Spielman said that unions had long had "a beef" about inspection.
"They've always tried to discredit it, they've always tried to break it down," she claimed.
"And the changes that have been made, both to the process and the way it's reported are going to make it harder and harder to pick up on school weaknesses.
"So they will essentially put the adults interests ahead of the children's interests. And that feels like a consistent theme running through."
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Asked why children shouldn't be taught exclusively by qualified teachers, Ms Spielman said: "It can work extremely well if people have the right experience and the school has done the right subjects and assessments."
She added that "it's been a way of creating... the capacity and the shortage subjects, of drawing on the talent that comes from overseas, that comes from elite performance in various disciplines."
A Department for Education spokesman said: “Our landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – alongside our new regional improvement teams and Ofsted reforms – delivers on our mission for every child to have a good, local school, will get high-quality teachers into every classroom, and ensure that all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best talent.”
