We want an inspection system that works for everyone. For parents and families. For children and learners. And for you - the professionals working in education. That’s what we’ve tried to design and are currently consulting on.
The current education inspection framework does some things very well - the focus on curriculum, early reading and safeguarding has made a real difference to children’s lives and education. We want to keep what we know is working.
However, we also want to reduce the pressure on those being inspected and make this a more collaborative, transparent and accessible inspection model.
How toolkits will help create consistency
We’re not kidding ourselves; we know inspection may never be enjoyable. And, when it is about something as important as children’s education, it needs to be thorough and rigorous.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t do more to minimise disruption, lessen the strain and make sure it’s a real chance for shared professional reflection on what leaders are doing well and what could be better.
So, we’ve based our proposals on existing professional standards and expectations, such as the Teachers’ Standards or Keeping Children Safe in Education, so inspection dovetails with the priorities leaders are dealing with day to day.
Leaders shouldn’t have to do anything specifically “for Ofsted”. We’re interested in what a provider is typically like, for leaders, staff and children.
We’ve set out these standards and expectations in bespoke toolkits, published as part of the consultation.
The toolkits describe exactly what we’ll look at on inspection. They are detailed, but that’s because they are more precise.
This isn’t about adding more requirements; it’s about being more transparent. We want to clearly set out what we’re considering under each of our proposed evaluation areas; to reduce guesswork about “what Ofsted wants to see”.
Greater detail also supports greater consistency - everyone looking at the same standards and understanding them in the same way. This will help leaders and inspectors discuss strengths and areas for improvement on an equal footing.
Our hope is this will mean the toolkits can also be useful to leaders in between inspections, to help map out improvements and reinforce strengths.
Context and close relationships
We’ll also be taking more account of the context providers are working in. Of course, we should not and will not lower the high expectations we have for all children. But we can be fairer in the way we consider and report on what you have been able to achieve in the circumstances you face.
So, inspections will start with a discussion of your context and the challenges and opportunities that has created. This is the lens through which leaders make decisions, so it should be the lens through which we gather evidence
We’ll also no longer undertake deep dives into specific subject areas, freeing up significantly more time on inspection for professional dialogue with school leaders, and we will only have one type of inspection - a full, graded one - to provide more certainty.
We’ll also return more quickly to providers with identified areas for improvement, giving them the chance to have their grades re-evaluated in months, not years. This means where improvement is swift no provider has an inspection outcome that no longer represents what they offer.
And finally, we’ll ask every provider to select a nominee to work with us closely - not just throughout the inspection process but also by offering them access to our training, so they are never in the dark about how we approach inspection. This will result in an enduring relationship built over several years, rather than one only established at the point of inspection.
Report card review
Finally, we’re also introducing our report cards.
The blunt instrument of an overall effectiveness grade has gone. In its place, parents will see at a glance how a provider is doing in a range of evaluation areas, with a detailed narrative alongside this.
We have already heard from an external poll that nearly two-thirds of parents prefer this approach, and over 80 per cent found it easy to understand. We also believe these new report cards will be better for providers, leaders and professionals.
Every provider has strengths and things they can do better. Rather than hiding these behind blunt headline grades, we will present a fair and honest picture of how they are performing in all areas. There will be no aggregated overall grade masking the details.
Overall, we hope our proposals mark a real step change, but they are not set in stone. So, if you have ideas, comments or criticisms, please take part in our consultation.
With your help, and with the testing and piloting we have planned, we can make sure we have an inspection system that works well for parents, helps relieve pressure on professionals and drives high standards for all children.
Lee Owston is national director for education at Ofsted
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