Ofsted and safeguarding: how the new framework might impact schools

You might have heard about Ofsted’s new framework, but what does it mean for your school’s safeguarding activities? Keep reading to learn more about Ofsted and safeguarding, including some of the key safeguarding evaluation criteria to be aware of. 

What the new Ofsted framework says about safeguarding 

Under the new Ofsted framework, safeguarding will have its own evaluation area which is graded on a simple ‘Met’/’Not met’ basis. This different from the other key evaluation areas which are graded on a five-point scale. This ‘Met’/’Not met’ grade will be clearly displayed on the new-style report card, towards the top. 

Safeguarding criteria has been placed at the top of all toolkits and report cards, across early years, schools and FE, highlighting the importance of this evaluation area. Ofsted wants to ensure that settings are safe and suitable for children above all else.  

Additionally, Ofsted have introduced a ‘suspend and return’ policy in schools. Ofsted inspectors can suspend an inspection to allow schools to resolve minor issues of safeguarding within 3 months, as long as that is their only issue. This policy will only be enacted if inspectors consider the school could improve the safeguarding issues within three months. 

Where inspectors do not believe that the school can realistically improve within 3 months, the inspection will end, and the school will be judged to a have serious weakness. Alternatively, where one or more other judgements would be graded as Requires Improvement or Inadequate. In this instance, the inspection will conclude and note that safeguarding is also ineffective. 

Ofsted will also continue to carry out focused monitoring inspections if they receive any information that causes concern around safeguarding.  

What do inspectors expect from your school? 

One of the key expectations around safeguarding is the need to keep a single central record CSR) of the safeguarding checks they carry out, as required by Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) guidance.  

Additionally, new guidance requires trusts to record this information in a way that allows for details of each individual academy to be provided separately and without delay, even if it is held centrally. 

Evidence Ofsted will gather on safeguarding  

Ofsted’s new inspection toolkit will be used to gather evidence on safeguarding in schools. Inspectors collect first-hand evidence of how the school typically operates, mainly through professional conversations and observing, often alongside leaders, the day-to-day work of the school. 

They are also required to view specific documentation, but this is limited to documents relating to the school’s statutory requirements or documents that it produces as part of normal business processes. No documentation is expected to be created specifically for Ofsted inspections. 

For safeguarding, the evaluation area considers whether: 

• The school establishes an open and positive safeguarding culture that puts pupils' interests first 

• Leaders take an effective, whole school approach to safeguarding 

Inspectors focus on gathering evidence relating to the factors that statutory and non-statutory guidance, research and inspection evidence indicate contribute most strongly to safeguarding. These factors include: 

• Protecting pupils from maltreatment and harm, within or outside the home or online. Schools must be vigilant and maintain an attitude of “it could happen here” 

• Working with safeguarding partners and other relevant agencies, in line with ‘Working together to safeguard children’, to help and protect pupils 

• Being open and transparent, sharing information appropriately with others, actively seeking expert advice as required, making sure all safeguarding decisions are accessible for scrutiny and accepting challenge so that the right decisions are made 

• Recognising that safeguarding issues may arise in any provision at any time 

• Ensuring that all those who work with pupils are well training in supporting them to be safer and are empowered to speak out and take action where there is concern 

• Recognising that pupils who regularly miss school might indicate safeguarding concerns; including neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse inside or outside of the home. Learn more about the different types of abuse and how it can present here 

• Actively seeking and listening to the views and experiences of pupils, staff and parents/carers and promptly dealing with any concerns 

• Having appropriate safeguarding and child protection arrangements, whilst ensuring that leaders and staff: 

- Identify pupils whose families may need help and support from other agencies 

- Identify pupils who are at risk of harm or who have been harmed  

- Secure the help that pupils need and, if required, refer concerns ina  timely way with the expertise to help 

- Manage safer recruitment and allegations about adults who may pose a risk to pupils 

- Are aware and respond to some pupil’s increased risk of needing help and protection, including those with SEND 

• Being receptive to challenge and reflecting on practice to ensure that safeguarding practices and systems are kept under review 

• In maintained schools, maintaining a single central record of pre-appointment checks 

• In academies, maintaining a single central record that details the checks carried out in each academy in the trust 

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