Many schools are dealing with consequences of toxic masculinity each day
In a speech at the union's annual conference in Harrogate in North Yorkshire, Mr Whiteman highlighted television drama Adolescence which has prompted a national conversation about misogyny and online safety.
Mr Whiteman warned that technology can 'isolate and divide' and create 'dangerous spaces' for children trying to find their identity in the world.
Addressing hundreds of school leaders on Friday, Mr Whiteman said: 'The critically acclaimed Netflix drama Adolescence may have been a wake-up call for some, but its portrayal of toxic masculinity and online radicalisation came as no surprise to our members, many of whom have to deal with the consequences of these issues every day.
'Tackling those dangers takes real leadership from politicians, from families, from teachers and from school leaders too.
'Because if we're serious about stopping a generation disappearing into a vortex of hatred and lies, then we must work together to show them that decency, selflessness, kindness and honesty, show them that can offer the fulfilment and reassurance they're searching for.'
In his speech, Mr Whiteman also reiterated calls for Ofsted to scrap its proposed changes for inspections.
Schools in England could be graded across eight to 10 areas of a provision using a colour-coded five-point scale under Ofsted's plans.
They would receive ratings, from the red-coloured 'causing concern' to orange-coloured 'attention needed', through the green shades of 'secure', 'strong' and 'exemplary' for each area of practice.
The Government announced last year that headline Ofsted grades for overall effectiveness for schools in England would be scrapped.
Previously, Ofsted awarded one of four single-phrase inspection judgments: outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.
The move came after Ofsted faced criticism following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.
Mrs Perry took her own life in January 2023 after an Ofsted report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from the highest to the lowest overall effectiveness rating over safeguarding concerns.
In his speech, Mr Whiteman said: 'Our own advice line has taken numerous calls over the years from distressed members— some feeling suicidal —because of this ineffective and needlessly punitive system.
'Following Ruth's death, we were promised change.
'What we've been offered, if you scratch beneath the surface, is more of the same – another crude grading system to hang over the heads of leaders.'
Addressing school leaders from across the country, the NAHT chief said: 'The idea that Ofsted's model is the only way to assess schools is utter nonsense.
'Our colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland will be the first to admit their systems aren't perfect, but the fact they offer something broader and more nuanced than a crude traffic light system proves there is more than one way.'
Earlier this week, Julia Waters, Mrs Perry's sister, joined education professionals in an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in asking for delays to the plans which she said were 'rushed'.
On Saturday, NAHT conference delegates will debate a motion which calls for the introduction of Ofsted report cards to be opposed.
It suggests that 'legal and industrial options' should be explored fully to protect the mental and physical health of school leaders and staff.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Minister says spending review will mark ‘end to austerity', as Home Office yet to agree deal
Update: Date: 2025-06-09T08:32:22.000Z Title: Angela Rayner, the deputy PM and housing secretary, settled with the Treasury late last night. Content: Good morning. In theory spending review negotiations can go up to the wire, with the final talks to resolve sticking points taking place late at night, only hours before the final decisions, and documents, are presented to MPs. In practice, it does not really happen like that now, last-minute haggling is no longer routine, and, with two days to go beofre the spending review that will settle government spending until 2019, only one cabinet minister has not yet settled. Here are the key developments this morning on the issue that will dominate the week. The news was broken by Arj Singh from the i, who reports: The i Paper understands that Rayner and Reeves agreed a deal just after 7.30pm after marathon talks on Sunday. But Home Office and Treasury sources were tight lipped on Sunday, in an indication that negotiations over police funding are also going to the wire. That means Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, is the only minister yet to agree a spending settlement with the chancellor, Rachel Reeves. In the Times Chris Smyth says police budgets are expected to rise by more than inflation, but other parts of the Home Office budget may face cuts. He reports: It is understood that Reeves has insisted that policing budgets will rise in each year of the spending review, which sets funding up to 2028-29. However, it remains unclear if the boost will match the more than £1 billion extra officers say is needed to cover existing shortfalls. Cooper is also expected to have to find deeper cuts elsewhere to boost police budgets. The Border Force has warned of longer queues at airports as it faces cuts to its £1.2 billion budget, saying there would be a 'threat to national security' if it lost frontline staff. Two police unions have launched a last-minute bid for extra money. In an article in the Daily Telegraph, Nick Smart, president of the Police Superintendents's Association, and Tiff Lynch, acting chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, say: Police are being asked to do more with less – again – as pressure mounts on already overstretched budgets. Why? Policing faces a £1.2 billion shortfall. This is before it is asked to deliver the ambitious pledges of the new government. Police forces across the country are being forced to shed officers and staff to deliver savings. These are not administrative cuts. They go to the core of policing's ability to deliver a quality service: fewer officers on the beat, longer wait times for victims, and less available officers when a crisis hits. As a practical lobbying exercise, this is fairly pointless, because it comes too late, but the two unions are making their case to the public. Chris Bryant, the culture minister, has said that the spending review will mark 'an end to austerity'. He told Times Radio: We know from running the government that spending money of itself isn't an achievement. Spending money and getting results is an achievement and that's why we are saying now with this spending review on Wednesday it's an end to austerity … That period of austerity where I think previous governments simply cut all public service budgets just because they believed that was what you had to do is over. But he also said some budgets would be 'stretched'. He said health and defence spending would rise, but added: There are going to be other parts of the budget that are going to be much more stretched and be difficult. Ministers have been promising the end of austerity at least since Theresa May was in office. Labour defend using the term on the grounds that overall government spending is going up in real terms. But there is no agreed definition of 'austerity' and, if spending is falling in certain areas, that may feel like austerity, and so using the term does not contribute a lot to public debate. What it does mean, though, is government not wanting to be associated with George Osborne. Here is our overnight story about the spending review. Here is the agenda for the day. Morning: Keir Starmer gives a speech at a London Tech Week event. 11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. Noon: Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, gives a speech at Port Talbot in south Wales. 2.30pm: Angela Rayner, the deputy PM and housing secretary, takes questions in the Commons. Also, Starmer is meeting Mark Rutte, the Nato general secretary, in Downing Street today. If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can't read all the messages BTL, but if you put 'Andrew' in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @ The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can't promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Rutte to meet PM as Nato chief says ‘quantum leap' in defence needed
The secretary general of the military bloc is expected to use a speech at London's Chatham House to say a '400% increase in air and missile' capability is required just to maintain deterrence and defence. He will say 'wishful thinking will not keep us safe' as he warns Nato must become a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance' to protect itself, in the remarks on Monday, when he will also separately meet the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary John Healey. Mr Rutte is expected to say: 'The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defence. The fact is, we must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full. 'The fact is, danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends'. He will add: 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies. 'Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells, and we must double our enabling capabilities, such as logistics, supply, transportation and medical support'. On threats against the alliance, Mr Rutte will say: 'Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We cannot dream away the danger. 'Hope is not a strategy. So Nato has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.' The Prime Minister has committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034. But Mr Rutte's visit to the UK comes after he proposed members of the bloc spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence as part of a strengthened investment plan for the alliance. The target would require nations to raise core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, while the remaining 1.5% is to be made up of 'defence-related expenditure'. Nato leaders will meet in The Hague later this month, when the total 5% spending target by 2035 will be discussed. The UK's Strategic Defence Review, which was published on Monday, recommended sweeping changes, including a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence based on rising budgets. The boost to the defence budget will be confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her spending review on Wednesday, when she will set out the Government's priorities for the next three years.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Rutte to meet PM as Nato chief says ‘quantum leap' in defence needed
The secretary general of the military bloc is expected to use a speech at London's Chatham House to say a '400% increase in air and missile' capability is required just to maintain deterrence and defence. He will say 'wishful thinking will not keep us safe' as he warns Nato must become a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance' to protect itself, in the remarks on Monday, when he will also separately meet the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary John Healey. Mr Rutte is expected to say: 'The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defence. The fact is, we must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full. 'The fact is, danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends'. He will add: 'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies. 'Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells, and we must double our enabling capabilities, such as logistics, supply, transportation and medical support'. On threats against the alliance, Mr Rutte will say: 'Wishful thinking will not keep us safe. We cannot dream away the danger. 'Hope is not a strategy. So Nato has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance.' The Prime Minister has committed to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence from April 2027, with a goal of increasing that to 3% over the next parliament, a timetable which could stretch to 2034. But Mr Rutte's visit to the UK comes after he proposed members of the bloc spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence as part of a strengthened investment plan for the alliance. The target would require nations to raise core defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, while the remaining 1.5% is to be made up of 'defence-related expenditure'. Nato leaders will meet in The Hague later this month, when the total 5% spending target by 2035 will be discussed. The UK's Strategic Defence Review, which was published on Monday, recommended sweeping changes, including a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence based on rising budgets. The boost to the defence budget will be confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her spending review on Wednesday, when she will set out the Government's priorities for the next three years.
