Growing concerns about the impact of England's new Ofsted inspection framework on school leaders have been highlighted by the Director of Education for Blackburn Diocese, Iain Parks.
Mr Parks, pictured, was interviewed in the latest edition of the Church Times alongside another Director of Education, Sue Lockwood from Exeter Diocese, as part of an in-depth feature examining the current pressures facing schools in the wake of Ofsted’s new inspection framework introduced last year.
Concerns were raised in the feature about inspection arrangements; increasing Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pressures; school funding and the long-term sustainability of school leadership. Those concerns are also shared by the Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev. Philip North.
In the article, Mr Parks describes ‘a quiet crisis’ unfolding in schools and warns that without meaningful change ‘we will continue to lose the very people upon whom our education system depends’.
Speaking to the Church Times, he said the new inspection framework, introduced last year with the aim of reducing pressure on school leaders, had failed to achieve that goal.
The promise of reduced pressure on leaders ‘has absolutely, categorically failed’ he said.
Mr Parks also expressed concern about the impact of the framework on school leaders' confidence and wellbeing.
"They're less aware of how good their schools are now than they've ever been," he told the publication.
The feature highlights concerns about the move towards a more rigid ‘secure fit’ approach to inspection, which Mr Parks argues can leave little room for professional judgement or context.
"A single weak moment, a pupil struggling to answer a question, or an area still embedding can shift an outcome," he said. "That is not accountability done well; it is accountability made brittle."
Mr Parks said accountability remains an important part of the education system, but argued that it must be fair, proportionate and grounded in the realities schools face, particularly smaller schools with limited leadership capacity.
Alongside his contribution to the Church Times feature, Mr Parks has also now published a longer reflection setting out his concerns about the pressures facing school leaders and the wider education system.
In that article, published now on the Diocese of Blackburn website, he argues that schools are facing increasing demands while leaders contend with mounting accountability pressures; growing complexity around SEND provision and continuing recruitment and retention challenges.
He writes: "Our school leaders have shown extraordinary resilience. But resilience is not an infinite resource. We cannot continue to ask people to do more, with less, under greater scrutiny and expect better outcomes.
"The system, as it currently stands, is not sustainable. And unless we change course, we will continue to lose the very leaders we need most."
And Mr Parks adds: “Education does not operate like other inspected systems. When a hospital faces challenge, patients do not choose whether to attend. When a bank is under scrutiny, customers do not necessarily withdraw overnight. But when a school is judged harshly, parents quite understandably respond with their feet and schools can quickly become unviable. The stakes are uniquely high.
“If we are serious about retaining our leaders and sustaining our schools, we must address the root causes. This is not the responsibility of one part of the system. It belongs to all of us: government, system leaders, unions, local authorities, dioceses.”
Speaking supportively today, Bishop Philip commented: "Our school leaders make an extraordinary contribution to the lives of children, families and communities across Lancashire. Day after day they carry significant responsibilities while striving to provide the very best education and support for those in their care.
“My regular visits to schools leave me profoundly concerned about the impact of the new framework on the safety and wellbeing of school leaders and would like to see an immediate review.
Bishop Philip continued: “We need to listen carefully when they raise concerns. We cannot afford to see able and committed professionals leaving education because of the multiple pressures being placed upon them, the new Ofsted framework chief amongst them.
“If we want our schools, and the people who serve within them, to flourish for the long term, then we need a system that combines rigorous accountability with fairness, support and a proper understanding of the realities schools face.”
Ronnie Semley, September 2026