Ungraded inspections will look at groups of subjects together that are agreed in advance with heads from September, after Ofsted scrapped subject deep dives for shorter visits.
The watchdog has provided more detail on how such inspections will work after Sir Martyn Oliver, the chief inspector, announced he wanted ungraded inspections to feel “more like monitoring visits”.
Schools previously rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ receive ungraded inspections, which can be upgraded to full inspections if inspectors identify concerns that may lead to their grade being changed.
But leaders had warned that cramming in subject deep-dives to shorter inspections was challenging, particularly for smaller schools.
In a blog post, Ofsted national director Lee Owston said headteachers and senior leaders will be “central to the new ungraded inspections” – and that inspectors will agree key areas of focus with heads in advance.
So, how will ungraded inspections work from September? Here’s your trusty Schools Week explainer.
1. Key areas of focus agreed in advance
Inspectors will call heads the day before their on-site inspection.
They will discuss the school’s context, what it does well and where it has improved and “anything leaders still need to tackle to make the school the best it can be”.
The inspectorate said it would “actively encourage” heads to have someone else with them during the call, or even several members of the senior team, who can then all contribute to the conversation.
The inspector and head will agree the key areas of focus for the inspection.
These will include issues relating to the quality of education but may also touch on “things that are important to the school”, such as something related to its particular context or that it has been working on.
Other focus areas may relate to personal development, behaviour, attendance, or something that includes all of these, Ofsted said.
2. Inspectors ‘won’t focus on one subject’
Ofsted said inspectors “won’t focus on one subject and they won’t be deep dives. Instead, inspectors will look at a group of subjects together”.
For instance, in a primary school, Ofsted said inspectors might look at early English and maths together, or they might look at a group of subjects from the wider curriculum.
In a secondary school, there could be a focus on the core subjects and another on, for example, vocational subjects.
The inspectorate might also hone in on a “specific aspect across these subjects”, for instance, on how a school has been working on improving assessment.
“We might then go with the headteacher or another senior leader to visit lessons in a group of subjects and discuss the impact of this new assessment work,” it added.
3. ‘Reduce the burden on subject leaders’
Ofsted said it aimed to “reduce the burden on subject leaders” and said heads and senior leaders, who have sometimes felt “out of the loop”, will be central to ungraded inspection.
“We have been transparent about the fact that some of the conversations we have during ungraded inspections may be challenging,” Ofsted said.
“But these changes will allow for a proper conversation between professionals about the school’s strengths, and its areas for improvement.”
It said inspections will “focus more on a dialogue” between heads and senior leaders.
“So, while we will still want to have conversations with subject leads, they won’t be as intensive.”
Ofsted reiterated that its framework and inspection methodology are not changing.
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