Only one in five primary heads shares the views of your anonymous correspondent (TES, June 15) that pre-inspection demands are too great. And OFSTED plans more changes to help heads.
In May, following a review, we announced a six-point plan to further reduce inspection demands. Key areas are much better co-ordination between government agencies to avoid duplication of effort, smarter use of new technologies and greater clarity about exactly what is needed in preparation for an effective inspection.
OFSTED is to include guidance on what is expected from the headteacher’s statement (form S4), will streamline data collected from schools on Form S2 and establish consistent financial reporting.
We will monitor the impact of these changes. and also report on school bureaucracy and the demands from local and central government. The full report of the review is at www.ofsted.gov.uk.
Guy Goodwin Office for Standards in Education Alexandra House 33 Kingsway, London
