Ofsted Academy to publish first training materials this term

The new Ofsted Academy will start publishing inspector training materials later this term in a bid to boost transparency.

The watchdog said the academy would collate its induction, training, learning, development and “good practice work” in a single place.

The new department, which will run training for the inspectorate, aims to “transform” how Ofsted recruits and teaches staff.

It will also collate face-to-face training and development and will develop an “insights library” to share exemplary practice.

As part of this, Ofsted pledged to “become more transparent” by publishing relevant training materials. This follows parents and school staff telling surveys they felt it could not be trusted.

The first materials – those shared at recent inspection conferences – will go live this term.

“The new Ofsted Academy is core to our efforts to be more transparent,” a spokesperson said.

“That is why we will share training materials, starting with school inspection conference materials, later this term.”

Ofsted not trusted

Ofsted said it was still developing the resource, but its Big Listen response said it would launch this autumn.

Matthew Purves, the former regional director for the South East, has been appointed as the academy’s director.

The inspectorate has been working to rebuild its reputation after a coroner ruled in December that an Ofsted inspection at Caversham Primary School in Reading contributed to the death of its headteacher, Ruth Perry.

Just 29 per cent of schools surveyed by IFF Research for the Big Listen agreed that Ofsted had “achieved its ambition of being trusted”.

The news comes as a poll of more than 190 schools in the north east by the Schools North East charity revealed half of respondents were unsure whether they supported the academy’s launch.

But respondents who were unsure about it “were not clear on what its purpose would be”.

Concerns were also raised that the academy “could be used to push particular agendas”.

But respondents did say it has the potential to make Ofsted more transparent and make inspections more consistent.