Ofsted is to test how well its new inspection toolkits support inspectors to gather evidence as part of its plan to launch inspection report cards later this year.
The inspectorate announced in a today that Ofsted inspectors will visit around 240 education providers, including schools, to explore “how the new approach and toolkits feel” for both inspectors and providers.
Under its plans for a new inspection framework, Ofsted is proposing to inspect all schools across at least eight areas with a new five-point grading scale. It would also make a binary judgement on whether safeguarding standards are being met or not met.
The watchdog is also planning to introduce a set of toolkits setting out what inspectors will look at when deciding which grade to give schools in each of the evaluation areas. These areas include developing teaching, attendance and inclusion.
Ofsted tests inspection toolkits
Ofsted is now set to test how effective the inspection toolkits are in supporting inspectors to collect evidence and whether they enable them to collect evidence on the “most important aspects of education”.
Ofsted said that this testing - carried out on voluntary visits - will also focus on how well the toolkits for different inspection areas work together. It will look to “make sure that they cover the right areas, include all that they need to, and avoid unnecessary or unhelpful repetition”.
And some of Ofsted’s test visits will include more than one inspector in order to establish whether inspectors “follow the same process” and have “shared views on the strengths and areas for improvement”.
The move comes after inspectors told Vlog that the increased number of categories that they would be required to assess would add “more pressure” for Ofsted’s workforce, which could leader to “greater inconsistencies” in judgements.
Consultation on report cards
Ofted said the testing will comprise:
- Thematic visits, which it describes as limited visits to “test the feasibility and validity of specific aspects of the methodology and toolkits”.
- Paired thematic visits, where more than one inspector will be involved to test whether inspectors follow the same process, and have shared views on the strengths and areas for improvement.
- End-to-end visits, where the whole inspection methodology and toolkits will be tested.
Around half the visits will be thematic or paired thematic visits, and around half will be end-to-end visits.
Feedback from these test visits will be considered before Ofsted introduces report cards, which is due to happen in November.
Ofsted said the testing is an early opportunity for its inspectors to become familiar with the main features of the new approach.
“Of course, they will do this without pre-judging further changes, which may follow the consultation,” the school watchdog added.
Ofsted is running a consultation on its proposed new inspection framework until 28 April.
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