The government has given its backing to proposals for "shorter, sharper" school inspections.

Forum Response: Professional Association of Teachers

PAT senior professional officer Alison Johnston said: "PAT has been calling for shorter and less bureaucratic inspections for all schools for some time. I'm sure that shorter notice periods will be welcomed by most schools.

"An enormous amount of time is wasted preparing mountains of often unnecessary paperwork for inspectors, and the longer the notice period schools have, the higher the mountains become.

"However, it is important to strike the right balance. There is a danger that the new inspections could be too shallow and not give a true reflection of the depth and breadth of educational activity taking place.

"If inspections are made more often, this could have an unsettling effect on teachers, who may feel that their professional judgement is being called into question. Inspections are important for the maintenance of high standards, but they inevitably cause disruption to the normal working life of a school. Too many inspections could cause too much disruption."

Forum Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

ATL’s general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: “This scheme may look wonderful in Whitehall but it’s a charter for jumpy heads and LEAs to demand schools remain in an endless state of inspection readiness. It will result in time wasted, not time saved, as David Bell so rashly claims.