House prices in England could be put in turmoil by the government’s scrapping of headline school grades such as outstanding or inadequate, according to Ofsted’s chief inspector.
Speaking at an education conference, Martyn Oliver said parents and schools had become familiar with headline grades after 30 years of use, saying he knew of house prices shooting up by £15,000 after nearby schools were graded as outstanding.
But from November schools and colleges will be given more nuanced “report cards” with up to 11 different grades given to each institution.
Oliver said: “We’re about to take that away and change it to something else that for more than three decades people were used to. I mean, here’s the burning question: what’s Rightmove going to do?”
Rightmove and other property websites prominently display Ofsted’s headline ratings for nearby schools on their listing.
After laughs from the audience, Oliver said: “It’s a serious point. Ofsted is probably one of the best-known regulators and inspectors in the world, let alone in this country.”
Asked what impact the new report cards would have on house prices, Oliver said: “I don’t know but I do know that where I live … we’ve got two special measures schools right where I live, and the house prices shot up. They were both in special measures, both went outstanding, and the house prices went up £15,000 in a week. It does make a difference.
“Parents obviously put a value on it.”
Ofsted inspections and gradings were criticised after the suicide of the headteacher Ruth Perry, after an Ofsted inspection downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate. Perry’s husband told her inquest that she worried local house prices would fall as a result of the downgrade.
Doing away with headline school grades and bringing in report cards was a manifesto pledge by Labour at the last general election.
From November, schools and colleges in England will get ratings issued on up to 11 different areas. Each area will be given one of five grades: exemplary, strong, secure, attention needed or causing concern. But there will be no overall or summary grade.
So far, headteachers and teaching unions have been unimpressed by Ofsted’s proposals, while Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is said to be monitoring the results closely.
The chief inspector apologised for the rushed nature of the changes and consultations. He said: “The system was saying Ofsted needed urgent and quick reform. And so I chose to put something out that I knew would be just the beginnings, just the foundations.”
Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The mess Ofsted have got themselves into is entirely of Sir Martyn Oliver’s making and it is disappointing that he has tried to pass the buck.”
• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
