Ofsted has published findings from pilot inspections using its new report card framework that comes into force next week.

Since September the watchdog has carried out pilot inspection visits to 115 schools.

Today, Lee Owston, Ofsted’s national director of education, produced a blog outlining the findings from these visits and the changes the watchdog is making as a result.

Here is everything you need to know:

Ofsted test inspections: key findings

1. Schools welcome move away from deep dives

Deep dives were a major part of the inspection process under Ofsted’s previous framework. Inspectors would carry these out in a number of subjects as part of the inspectorate’s evaluation of the school curriculum.

The focus on curriculum was central to the previous Education Inspection Framework, introduced by former Ofsted chief inspector Baroness Spielman.

But deep dives were dropped from ungraded inspections last year by Ofsted’s current chief, Sir Martyn Oliver - and have now been scrapped altogether.

The blog says this move away from deep dives has been “well received” during the pilot inspections.

2. Leaders want to be kept in the loop during visits

Ofsted says that school leaders have valued being “kept informed of emerging findings and welcomed the chance to engage in meaningful professional dialogue”.

Mr Owston also says that many leaders taking part in the pilot inspections felt the process was fairer and more inclusive than previous inspections.

Tes revealed last month that Ofsted has said that its new inspection framework will mean school leaders no longer face “surprises” at the end of the day about what inspectors have found.

Speaking at Schools North East’s annual summit, Mr Owston said: “No more will we have end-of-day surprises. Nothing should come as a surprise because you’ve seen what we’ve seen, or if you haven’t, somebody’s come to get you to say, ‘This is what we’ve observed. Is that typical? Is there more that we could do? Is there somebody else I need to speak to?’”

Today’s blog says leaders have also welcomed regular reflection meetings and learning walks in the pilot inspections.

3. There are concerns about workload

Ofsted’s blog highlights that some concerns have been raised during the pilot inspections.

Mr Owston says: “Some leaders did raise concerns or questions. A few mentioned increased workload and pressure on staff, particularly in smaller schools or those with more complex circumstances, where logistics could be challenging.”

The blog adds that Ofsted has “learned a lot from the pilot inspections about how to reduce pressure on school leaders and staff”.

Mr Owston writes: “Having an extra inspector on site gave the lead inspector more time to engage with leaders, hear about all the aspects of the school that leaders wanted to celebrate with us, and helped everything run more smoothly.”

Earlier this year Tes revealed the concerns of leaders involved in early trials of the report card inspections that the volume of work covered was not “realistic” in the time available.

4. Small school inspection changes

The blog also reveals that Ofsted has trialled a different approach to allocating an additional inspector when inspecting small schools.

“Instead of adding it to day one, we found that having two inspectors on each day made things much more manageable for everyone involved,” it says.

Ofsted previously announced that it would be adding an extra inspector for one day of all of its full inspections.

The blog also says that in smaller schools - including some primaries or those with more complex contexts - logistics often needed extra thought.

“For example, we’ve seen how important it is to anticipate the potential impact on staff right from the planning call. Involving leaders in shaping the timetable, deciding who is best placed to accompany inspectors, and planning how case sampling and learning walks will work can help keep things calm and avoid overwhelming staff,” it says.

5. No nursery school inspections in the autumn

Ofsted says that, in maintained nursery schools, it was more difficult to evaluate impact during the autumn term, especially when most of the children were three- and four-year-olds who had only recently started.

To address this, it says that “going forward, we’ll be scheduling inspections for these settings in the spring and summer terms only, when there’s more evidence of progress over time”.

6. More nuance on tests and exams data

The inspectorate has made a change to the toolkit that its inspectors will use for deciding grades for the “achievement” category, after concerns were raised during the pilot inspections.

The watchdog has added the word “typically” to one of the expected standards. It now reads as: “On the whole, pupils achieve well. Typically, this will be reflected in their attainment and progress in national tests and examinations, which are broadly in line with national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils.”

Ofsted says this was changed after feedback from leaders and from inspectors. Tes previously reported that headteachers’ leaders were concerned about the watchdog’s plan for grading achievement.

In his blog, Mr Owston says: “It helps to acknowledge that sometimes, due to limitations in the data, pupils’ achievement might not be fully reflected in published outcomes. This could be, for example, where there is a very small cohort.

“It also takes account of when there is no published data about pupils’ achievement, particularly in special schools and alternative provision.”

Ofsted has also corrected the toolkit by removing a duplicated sentence from one of the expected standards in leadership and governance, part of the “strong” grade standard. ( “Leaders provide meaningful opportunities for them to share perspectives and insights and collaborate throughout any change process”.)

7. More context on school intake

Ofsted inspectors use a school inspection data summary report (IDSR) when preparing for, and in carrying out, inspections.

For the launch of its new framework, the watchdog has produced extra detail in its new IDSR “to determine where there may be some atypicality”.

The blog says this will provide helpful context flags about pupil cohorts.

“These indicators will highlight things like cohort stability, levels of disadvantage and the proportion of pupils with SEND in each school, giving inspectors a fuller understanding of the school’s context,” it adds.

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