We will never lose sight of the fact that inspection is experienced by real people leading real schools, colleges and nurseries.
As I have often said, the way inspection feels matters greatly because it shapes how people view accountability, how they convey their experience to family, friends and work colleagues and, ultimately, whether they trust the process and the outcome.
Over the past few years, we have worked hard to make inspection a more constructive experience while maintaining the rigour and independence that children and learners deserve.
That is the delicate balancing act at the heart of Ofsted’s work.
Ofsted inspection changes
We work in the best interests of children and learners - that’s true of everyone working in education - and we have a particular responsibility to parents. We must report what we find on inspection in a way that either helps them understand how their children are being served, or helps them make choices about their children’s future education.
We also have a responsibility to the education sector. Our work should help highlight strengths and areas for improvement in a genuinely useful way. Inspection should, as far as is possible, be a collaborative and empathetic process aimed at improvement.
We cannot avoid having difficult conversations or making adverse judgements where they are needed. Still, we should always strive to leave a school, and the professionals within it, in a better place after inspection than before. As much as we can, we aim to “do good as we go”.
In recent weeks, there has been a re-energised debate around Ofsted. Critics - and we certainly have a few - have made sweeping claims about what “the sector” thinks and argued for radical change, even our abolition.
There have been polls and commentary published, and you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is only one view of Ofsted in the education profession.
Critical views on inspection
We know that the truth is, as ever, more nuanced than that.
We are determined to be a learning and self-improving organisation, and I have never believed that Ofsted has all of the answers.
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We genuinely care what teachers and leaders think and feel about inspection. After all, we are not the ones that make positive change happen - that’s your job.
Ofsted in isolation cannot improve nurseries, schools and colleges. We need to be able to work in tandem if inspection is going to lead to something good for the children we all serve.
Positive signs?
So, alongside the criticism, I am encouraged by regional news stories about providers up and down the country who’ve had a positive inspection experience. I am also often reassured by the positive feedback we receive directly from leaders we’ve recently inspected.
For instance, just the other day, Andrew Berry, CEO of The Tilian Partnership, got in touch after his fourth school inspection under the renewed framework, saying: “The professionalism of the team cannot be faulted…although the process was rigorous, and was challenging for some, it ensured the wellbeing of both staff and the headteacher…I can’t say that I look forward to inspections, but the way in which the new framework has been applied has been a positive experience.”
And, following her first inspection as a headteacher, Clare Pellew of Eldene Primary School recently wrote to us to say: “Although it was undoubtedly a stressful experience, I genuinely found it to be a very positive one. Throughout the process, I felt supported, listened to and treated with respect.
“One of the most valuable aspects of the inspection was the validation it provided. It gave me confidence that my understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development is accurate and that the work we are doing is having the intended impact.
“The team’s transparency and honesty helped to build trust, even when discussing challenging areas, and I felt that our context was genuinely understood rather than simply acknowledged.”
New survey data
Today we have published an independent report by IFF Research, which explores education leaders’ views on their inspection under our renewed framework. We commissioned this evaluation to tell us how the reforms we introduced last November are landing with the sector.
I won’t repeat all of the findings here, as you can read about them in the IFF’s report and draw your own conclusions. But I will say that we are buoyed by the balance in the findings. They’re certainly not all positive, and they’ve given us plenty to think about in terms of future improvements, but they also offer reassurance that our reforms are broadly on the right track.
For me, some of the most important findings relate not only to what professionals think about individual reforms, but how they feel during the inspection process itself. Feeling listened to, respected and understood matters. Those things help build trust and create the conditions for meaningful improvement.
Workload and mental health impact
We’re pleased that most professionals working in nurseries, schools and colleges agreed that the changes have improved their experience of inspection.
Inspections are regarded as more collaborative and respectful; toolkits give more clarity; there is more consideration of context and, most importantly of all, a majority agreed their inspection will help drive improvements.
Yes, the research also highlights a number of concerns, most significantly workload and wellbeing issues. We won’t shy away from those challenges. We have worked very hard to reduce the pressure of inspection over the past three years. Everyone at Ofsted agrees this is the right thing to do.
Clearly, for some professionals, inspection can still be a significant source of pressure. So we know there is more work needed.
Change is never “one and done”. We will continue to listen, learn and improve, striving to do good as we go - while maintaining our unwavering focus on improving the lives and experiences of children and learners.
As we continue to adjust and improve, I hope that today’s findings will at least start to dial down the temperature of debate about Ofsted - and give us a better foundation for a more collaborative future.
Lee Owston is national director for education at Ofsted
