There is “no evidence” the Government’s proposed reforms to Ofsted will be an improvement on the current system, the Conservatives have said. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott argued the new report cards system would be “slower and weaker”, and result in more children staying in failing schools for longer. Under the plans unveiled on Monday, schools in England could be graded across a variety of different areas – including attendance and inclusion – using a colour-coded five-point scale.

Schools 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 under proposals for Ofsted’s new report card system. Education minister Catherine McKinnell said schools in England are entering “a new era of accountability” in a statement to the Commons.

“Schools that are stuck but have the capacity to improve must be supported and pushed to do so,” she added. Ms Trott said: “What we have in front of us is a proposed system which is slower and weaker. The Secretary of State repeatedly talked about a new era today – it is a new era, one of regression, confusion and poorly thought-out policy.”. She added: “Instead of immediate new management in a failing school, which is what happens at the moment, the Secretary of State is proposing to get a team of DfE (Department for Education) bureaucrats coming in for 18 months, and only after they make no improvements will the Education Secretary consent to actually get a new team in place to lead the school.

“And what will this mean? More children in failing schools for longer. “Because, as the minister says, we know what works to turn around failing schools, a good academy trust taking over a failing school is the best intervention that we can make to turn schools around. “There is no evidence whatsoever that the approach proposed today for the delay and a rise (regional improvement for standards and excellence) team coming in will be any better.

“Can the minister confirm that she has no evidence that her approach to delaying the academy order will be better? Can she point to where her proposed approach has been trialled effectively? It is unconscionable to foist a new system into place which is not evidenced and will make things worse, not better.”. Responding, Ms McKinnell said: “This is the new front in the fight against low expectations and our rise teams will spearhead the stronger, faster systems prioritising these schools.”.

The Department for Education (DfE) is consulting on new arrangements for intervention in state schools – including its plans for regional improvement for standards and excellence (rise) teams. Schools that are allocated rise experts will see up to £100,000 made available for specialist support. The DfE said it would use “structural intervention” to improve schools deemed to be in special measures – so a local authority school would become an academy and an existing academy would be transferred to a “new and strong trust”.

Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: “On its own, a move away from single-word to multiple-word judgements will do little to bring about change. “We need to see a culture shift so that Ofsted, teachers, school leaders and parents are partners together in the process of school improvement and assessment, rather than adversaries. “So, is the minister confident that these proposals will be able to achieve that culture shift, so that the inspector is seen as a critical friend rather than someone to be feared?”.

Ms McKinnell said the watchdog had completed a learning exercise known as the Big Listen and added Ofsted leaders had “listened very carefully to the feedback on the way it conducts inspections whilst also reviewing the format for reporting on those inspections”. Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh warned the new framework could create a “kind-of tick-box culture, appeasing the man in Whitehall”.

The Conservative MP for Gainsborough told the Commons: “In my experience, parents have a pretty good instinct to what is a good school and the great generator of progress has been the academy programme and headteachers responding to what parents want, and we should be giving them more, not less, freedom. “Isn’t there a danger in all this that if you create highly complex Ofsted reports giving league tables across 40 different areas that you will replace headteachers concentrating on what parents want with a kind-of tick-box culture, appeasing the man in Whitehall?.