Ofsted

Don’t use ‘gaming’ Ofsted inspection ‘trackers’, Gibb tells schools

Liberal Democrats call for inquiry after DfE dodges questions about its knowledge of 'unethical' early warning systems

Liberal Democrats call for inquiry after DfE dodges questions about its knowledge of 'unethical' early warning systems

Exclusive

Ministers have warned schools not to monitor their website traffic to predict Ofsted inspections, with calls for a government inquiry into the “gaming” practice exposed by Schools Week.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Munira Wilson has demanded ministers launch an investigation after they dodged her questions about how long the Department for Education has known about the use of such “trackers” and whether any action had been taken.

Schools minister Nick Gibb tonight said the DfE and Ofsted were “currently looking at how best to respond to recent reports”, and warned monitoring could “cause unnecessary pressure and add to workload for staff”.

He urged schools “not to use such services. Schools do not need to take any extra steps to prepare for Ofsted inspections and this could cause unnecessary pressure and add to workload for staff.”

Ofsted was last week accused of being “complicit in gaming its own inspection system” after admitting it was aware of schemes that give schools advance notice of visits.

Gibb today confirmed the watchdog was “aware of the issues of schools monitoring their website traffic for possible Ofsted activity, but without firm evidence”.

Schools Week investigation uncovered evidence that schools have been able to predict inspections for at least a decade by monitoring web traffic.

It exposed a loophole in a system that is built on the principle that schools should only be told about inspections at most the day before they happen.

A ‘damning indictment’ of ‘high-stakes’ Ofsted

Wilson said the DfE “needs to investigate how these trackers are being used”, saying their emergence was a “damning indictment of how high-stakes our inspection system has become”.

Munira Wilson MP
Munira Wilson MP

“Inspections are vital to give parents confidence in our schools but are putting a huge stress on teachers.

“These trackers show the desperate lengths that schools are going to in order to get ahead, whilst Conservative ministers sit on their hands,” she said, adding that money should be spent on children’s education, not to “game Ofsted”.

“We need root-and-branch reform of school inspections so Ofsted can be the critical friend that schools value and parents can trust.”

We revealed last week how a website company developed an algorithm to track Ofsted activity online, a move described as “highly unethical”.

But the use of such practices is widespread and an open secret in schools. Posts on an online forum for IT professionals about setting up an “Ofsted early warning” system date back as far as 2015.

Latest education roles from

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Minerva Learning Trust

Head of Programme 2D Studies – City Lit

Head of Programme 2D Studies – City Lit

FEA

Group Director of Governance & Company Secretary

Group Director of Governance & Company Secretary

New City College

Principal (Harrow College) – HRUC

Principal (Harrow College) – HRUC

FEA

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

Helping every learner use AI responsibly

AI didn’t wait to be invited into the classroom. It burst in mid-lesson. Across UK schools, pupils are already...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Retire Early, Live Fully: What Teachers Need to Consider First

Specialist Financial Adviser, William Adams, from Wesleyan Financial Services discusses what teachers should be considering when it comes to...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

AI Safety: From DfE Guidance to Classroom Confidence

Darren Coxon, edtech consultant and AI education specialist, working with The National College, explores the DfE’s expectations for AI...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

How accurate spend information is helping schools identify savings

One the biggest issues schools face when it comes to saving money on everyday purchases is a lack of...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Ofsted

Small schools demand Ofsted clarity over report card impact

Inspectors will conduct three learning walks on the first day of inspections and hold at least five 'reflection meetings'...

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Ofsted

Ofsted chief calls for new state school standards ‘enshrined in law’

Sir Martyn Oliver says new legislation would 'stop Ofsted from tinkering' and 'deciding to do something new'

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Ofsted

Ofsted inspections of MATs should be ungraded, says CST

Confederation of School Trusts (CST) gives its feedback on plans for academy trust inspections

Lydia Chantler-Hicks
Ofsted

Ofsted claims it’s ‘transparent’ despite refusing to publish reform feedback

'We set out really clearly the negativity that we heard,' says Oliver after watchdog is criticised for lack of...

Lydia Chantler-Hicks

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *