'It’s Not the Critic Who Counts...'

Sir Martyn Oliver, the Chief Inspector of Schools in England, says he wants Inspections to be “done with” schools rather than “done to” them. This suggests that the latest manifestation of Ofsted has learnt lessons, and is keen on ensuring that its most recent inspection framework is fit for the modern world. Yet, both within the teaching profession and wider society questions remain about whether anything fundamental has actually changed, and if it is ever possible to provide objective terms on which to gauge the quality of something as complex as education?

In the first episode of the latest series of 'The Way We See Sport, The Way We See Life', Nathan and Chris explore the difficulty involved in making holistic judgements on the nature of quality in any field – sport or education. Is Neil Warnock a great manager due to his record in the Championship, or a poor one based on his failings in the Premier League? Is Haseem Hameed a prodigious talent, or someone who couldn’t live up to his potential? And is it ever fair to subject someone to trial by public opinion? In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, “it is not the critic that counts…”