Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Rejected
Paragraph: 61
Commission independent assessment of factors affecting retention of experienced Ofsted HMIs.
Recommendation
We recognise the value and expertise that experienced inspectors can bring, particularly long-serving HMIs. Ofsted should commission an independent assessment of the factors affecting retention of experienced HMIs and take appropriate steps to address the issue.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to commission an independent assessment, stating it already understands HMI retention factors and does not believe it would be a good use of public money, citing salary constraints and workload as known issues.
Paragraph Reference:
61
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
We do not intend to action Recommendation 11 (in the Committee's report), because, as we set out above, we do not believe this is a good use of public money. We already have, and continue to build, a clear and strong understanding of the factors that affect HMI recruitment and retention. However, we face many of the same challenges faced by the school system in seeking to recruit and retain staff. And, as with the school system, we know the reasons for this difficulty. Because of this, we do not believe an independent assessment of the factors affecting retention of experienced HMIs, as recommended in Recommendation 11, is a good use of public money. Salaries in many parts of the sector exceed the salaries we are currently able to afford. Between November 2021 and November 2023, excluding HMI who retired from their roles, 42% of our schools HMI left to join multi-academy trusts (MATs). HMI salary has declined in real terms in recent years, reflecting our wider budget constraints. But we have not ignored the other factors affecting recruitment and retention. Exit surveys show that ways of working and workloads are often significant contributing factors to HMI turnover. This is further exacerbated by ever-tightening budgets, leading to larger workloads for inspectors. While there is little we can do about salary constraints, given the wider budget squeeze, we are seeking to address non-pay issues.