Should the new Ofsted monitoring inspections be seen as an MOT?
It can be easy to see any Ofsted inspection as a burden, and even more so when your report requires follow-up inspections. But should this be the case, or is it an opportunity in disguise? In this article, we take a deeper dive into monitoring inspections under the new Ofsted framework, and why you should see them as an opportunity for improvement, rather than as a burden.
What the new Ofsted framework says about monitoring inspections
According to the new Ofsted framework, schools and colleges with identified areas for improvement are to receive additional monitoring inspections, to ensure swift changes are made.
This is to offer reassurance to parents and carers, as well as the DfE, that schools are actually improving after being told that improvement is needed. Ofsted believe that monitoring inspections are an opportunity for schools to have their improvements systematically recognised and allow them to support that improvement.
They also believe that monitoring inspections and the support offered will reduce pressure on school leaders, so they aren’t stuck with unwanted inspection outcomes for years to come.
How they will work
Schools graded as ‘urgent improvement’, and therefore in a category of concern, will receive a monitoring inspection each term following the publication of their report card. The inspections will specifically focus on the areas identified as needing improvement in the report.
Whilst they will occur on a termly basis, the specific number of inspections will be tailored to the circumstances of the school, following the below:
- Schools needing significant improvement will receive up to 5 monitoring inspections within 18 months of the last full inspection
- Schools needing special measures will receive up to 6 monitoring inspections within 24 months of the last full inspection
The end of each monitoring inspection will include checking if a school is ready for the category of concern to be removed. This will then determine if the monitoring will continue, or whether the school has improved enough to have a full inspection, in which case the category of concern will be removed.
If inspectors deem that a school has improved enough to remove the category of concern, they may change the previous brief monitoring inspection to a full inspection and then complete all the activities of a full inspection, as well as produce a full report card with updated grades.
In addition to schools graded ‘urgent improvement’, those graded as ‘needs attention’ will also receive monitoring inspections, but only in the specific areas where they did not meet the ‘expected standard’. Once a school meets the expected standard, monitoring will end and their report will be updated.
Why monitoring inspections should be seen as an MOT rather than as a burden
In October, Tes, in collaboration with Tes Magazine, hosted a webinar with school leaders discussing whether the new Ofsted framework is fit for purpose. During the webinar, Cathie Paine, CEO of REAch 2, talked about how early Ofsted school inspections used to hang over school staff for months and how they “lived under a cloud” leading up to the inspection.
However, she went on to talk about how much things have changed since early inspections for the better and how there are some real positives in the new framework. One such improvement is monitoring inspections.
She says that monitoring inspections might seem burdensome on the surface, but schools need to see them as a good thing – as an opportunity, with guidance, to improve.
Cathie says they should see it almost like an MOT, where for example, if a car doesn’t quite meet the requirements, improvements must be made and reassessed before it is passed. Likewise, schools will need to make improvements in certain areas before being reassessed and report cards are updated.
Monitoring inspections shouldn’t necessarily be seen as doom and gloom, or as a mark of failure, but as an opportunity to become better with expert guidance. All school leaders want to offer the very best experience to their students; this is another way to get there.
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