Reform to Ofsted will happen 鈥渋n the shortest time possible鈥 if Labour wins the next election, but with 鈥渢he greatest engagement possible鈥 with schools, the new shadow schools minister has said. Responding to a question from Schools Week at the , Catherine McKinnell said changes to inspection were a 鈥減riority鈥 for the front bench and 鈥渢ime-critical in the sense of we want it to happen as quickly as possible鈥. Labour announced earlier this year that it would replace the four current headline judgments with report cards setting out the strengths and weaknesses of schools if they gain power next year. It will also inspect multi-academy trusts, and create an annual safeguarding audit for all schools. McKinnell, who was appointed last month, told a fringe event organised by the Education Policy Institute and ASCL school leaders鈥 union today that 鈥渋t really does feel that we have a system currently where inspections aren’t just dreaded, but ineffective鈥. 鈥淭hey are adding to the recruitment and retention crisis in our schools. And they are providing very little useful information for parents.鈥 She said Labour wanted 鈥渆very school leader, every teacher, not just to be achieving for our children, but to be supported in achieving the best for our children and that is the ultimate aim鈥. 鈥淎nd so we will look to achieve that in the shortest time possible, but with the greatest engagement possible to get it right and to work with teachers, with families, with parents, with the education sector, with school support staff.鈥 New system will be ‘jointly created’ She said Ofsted reform 鈥渋sn’t going to be done to schools. It isn’t going to be done to Ofsted and done to the sector. 鈥淚t’s going to be jointly created so that it is an inspectorate we can have confidence in, that it is achieving its aims, and that parents can have confidence in again. 鈥淎nd so I’d love to put an exact timeframe on it. But you can understand that’s not possible, but it is a priority. And we will look to start that engagement and look to change the status quo as quickly as possible.鈥 Labour鈥檚 plans to change Ofsted 鈥渇ocus on improvement鈥ighlighting those areas where schools are doing well and are improving but also where they might need further improvement because it’s clear that any school has room to improve. 鈥淎nd we need to be clear in these reports where that room for improvement lies and then make sure that support is in place to enable that improvement to happen. So we’ll work with experts, we will make sure we base any changes we make on evidence.鈥 Schools ‘held back’ by current system McKinnell also warned that the current system may be 鈥渉olding back鈥 schools that are forced to 鈥減lay it safe鈥 in case inspectors call. The current system is 鈥渏ust providing a snapshot鈥 that is 鈥渟ometimes helpful鈥 if an inspection goes a school鈥檚 way. But it can 鈥渁lso have the opposite effect of taking a snapshot that is an unfair view, that doesn’t take in the whole picture and can have the effect of preventing improvement鈥. 鈥淭hat’s the horrible thought, that schools may be holding back on programmes they are confident would drive improvement in their school, but want to take a risk averse approach, play it safe, because they’re worried an inspection could land at any moment. And it wouldn’t take in the full picture of what they’re trying to achieve. 鈥淎nd I think that’s the what we need to look at that鈥t’s an ecosystem. It’s a much more complex picture than is currently being painted.鈥