Scrapping Ofsted must be the beginning of the end of teaching to the test

In the Policy Paper, Every Child Empowered (March 2018), Liberal Democrats announced they would campaign for a widescale package of education reforms, including abolishing Key Stage 2 SATs, replacing Ofsted, overhauling league tables, and taking future curriculum reforms out of the hands of politicians.

Responding to today’s announcement by the Labour Party that they will campaign to abolish Ofsted, Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran MP said:

“It is always good to see the Labour Party copying another key Lib Dem education promise, just as they followed us in calling for SATs to be scrapped, here they are trailing in behind again.

“The Conservatives’ high stakes testing regime is hurting our children. SATs and Ofsted inspections are causing stress and anxiety for pupils and teachers, even though they mean nothing for a child’s life chances.

“Ofsted lost the trust of the teaching profession long ago. We need an inspection system that parents and teachers can trust, supporting schools to succeed rather than punishing them for failure.

“But Angela Rayner must go further. We must end teaching to the test – which is why Liberal Democrats want to scrap league tables in their current form. Parents should be able to see the full picture of how their school is doing, not just how well Year 6 pupils do in a week of English and Maths tests.

“Liberal Democrats demand better for our children. They should come home from school happy, healthy and with the skills they need to succeed in life – not just as children who know how to pass exams.”

Responding for DfE Nick Gibb, Education Minister, said:

“This is yet another sign of the extreme left-wing ideological drift that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party has taken.

“Labour are clearly intent on reversing the huge improvements that have been seen, particularly for the most disadvantaged children, by ending academies and free schools. Now they want to stop parents having even the most basic information so that they can make informed choices about their children’s schools.

“It’s crystal clear – you can’t trust Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party with education.”