Ofsted

The latest news and analysis on the schools inspectorate in England, including inspection and curriculum policy and reports

Thursday

14th Nov 2024

Ofsted could inspect teaching as separate category in new inspections
Watchdog’s draft proposal to assess schools’ teaching as a standalone category amid recruitment and retention crisis has caused sector concern
Ofsted could inspect teaching separately under its new scorecard system
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Ofsted’s new inspection toolkit will have a SEND focus
Watchdog says it wants to ensure its new inspection framework is ‘more suitable’ for inspection of SEND in mainstream, special and AP schools
Ofsted’s new inspection toolkit will have a SEND focus
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Tuesday

12th Nov 2024

Trusts, the DfE and the RISE problem
The Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) plan is poorly thought through and exposes a wider issue of the government’s relationship with trusts, argues Jon Severs
Trusts, the DfE and the RISE problem

Friday

8th Nov 2024

Ofsted’s inclusion focus won’t penalise suspensions, says chief
Inspectorate must move away from ‘detecting failures only’, Sir Martyn Oliver tells MAT leaders at the Confederation of School Trusts’ conference
Inclusion focus will not penalise schools for suspensions, Ofsted chief says

Thursday

7th Nov 2024

Scorecard trial to assess how schools serve disadvantaged pupils
Creators of a school equity scorecard hope Ofsted will adopt the approach when its new inspections get underway next year
Scorecard trial to assess how well schools serve disadvantaged pupils

Monday

4th Nov 2024

Sir Martyn Oliver: ‘Ofsted has lots more work to do’
The watchdog’s chief inspector looks back over his first 10 months in the role – and ahead to the new processes he will introduce
Sir Martyn Oliver: ‘Ofsted has lots more work to do’

Friday

1st Nov 2024

Former Ofsted inspectors call for urgent renewal of its governance
Former inspectors Professor Colin Richards and Frank Norris warn that concerns raised about the watchdog’s governance are at risk of being ignored
Two former senior Ofsted inspectors have warned that issues raised about governance at the inspectorate are at risk of being ignored.
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Thursday

24th Oct 2024

SEND crisis: schools lack incentives to be inclusive, watchdog warns
The government has no solution to a financial crisis that could lead to more than 4 in 10 councils effectively declaring bankruptcy, states National Audit Office
SEND crisis: Schools lack incentives to be inclusive, watchdog warns

Wednesday

16th Oct 2024

Ofsted: Monday notification call does not apply to deferred inspections
The inspectorate has said that schools can be contacted on any day of the week to confirm a deferred inspection date
Ofsted calling

Thursday

10th Oct 2024

How Ofsted’s Monday inspection call rule has changed the week
Primary head Michael Tidd says knowing Ofsted will only call on a Monday has already changed his perception of the working week – but wonders if it will have some unintended consequences
Ofsted calling calendar

Tuesday

8th Oct 2024

Ofsted: Six findings on ensuring children learn in the early years
Ofsted has released an early years research report that focuses on what progress looks like for EYFS children in the four specific areas of learning
Number 6 early learning

Wednesday

25th Sep 2024

Schools with lower Ofsted ratings hit harder by falling rolls
The problem of falling pupil rolls is not being felt equally across the primary school sector, according to new NFER analysis
Schools with lower Ofsted ratings hit harder by falling rolls