Parents want Ofsted inspections to be more transparent and less high stakes, with more than a third calling for an end to single word judgements, according to new research.
Parents are in favour of a report card-style Ofsted accountability model, with only six per cent saying they do not like the idea of overhauling the one-word judgment system, the research by Public First found.
Currently schools are given a one-word rating ranging from “outstanding” to “inadequate” after they are inspected.
Today’s report comes after a coroner concluded an Ofsted inspection "likely contributed" to the death of Caversham headteacher Ruth Perry, whose school had been downgraded from outstanding to inadequate.
Ofsted inspections were on pause today and inspectors were undergoing training on “recognising and responding to visible signs of anxiety” following the results of the inquest.
The report into public support for education reform suggests that 85 per cent of parents agree on balance that Ofsted should continue to inspect schools, while 60 per cent think that inspections should change.
A total of 42 per cent of parents said Ofsted should be more transparent on how it reaches judgments, 37 per cent of parents want longer inspections, 36 per cent want greaterfrequency of inspections and 34 per cent want an end to single-word judgments.
The report, commissioned by the Laidlaw Foundation which invests in education of the underprivileged, suggests parental desire for more balanced accountability is likely to be a reflection of an appetite for a broader curriculum.
While parents want schools to maintain a focus on academic outcomes, they are also keen to see expanded extra-curricular activities and the teaching of "life skills", such as healthy eating, and digital and financial literacy.
Parents are almost twice as likely (57 per cent) to name preparing children for adult life as an essential task for schools compared to preparation for further academic study (32 per cent).
Some 54 per cent of parents would prefer for their child to go to a school prioritising extra-curricular activities and life skills, versus 37 per cent who prefer that their child goes to a school prioritising academic achievement and exams.
As a result, the report's authors have called for an extended school day, as well as an injection of funding to pay for it and staff to run it.
The report also found that exams are seen as a cause of needless stress by teachers and parents alike.
Susanna Kempe, chief executive of the Laidlaw Foundation, said: "The current system of accountability is not working. We can and must do better.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called for an end to single-word or phrase judgments in Ofsted inspections and labelled them "brutal and counterproductive".
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said Ofsted has made changes to reduce pressures felt by school leaders and "will do more" to address concerns raised by the coroner following the inquest into the death of Mrs Perry.
