Ofsted inspectors worry about mid-week deluge on duty desk

Ofsted will mobilise extra staff to deal with an expected deluge of calls from lead inspectors on Wednesdays after changes to inspection dates, the union representing HMIs has said.

Ofsted now gives school leaders notice of all routine, graded and ungraded, inspections on a Monday, and inspects on a Tuesday and Wednesday,.

But there are fears that this could lead to a “logjam” at the Ofsted duty desk if lead inspectors are calling in at the same or similar times, particularly on a Wednesday.

Lead inspectors may contact the desk during the second day of an inspection to discuss emerging findings, Ofsted’s handbook states.

If one or more of their provisional key judgments is ‘inadequate’, or they think safeguarding is ineffective, the lead inspector must call the desk before their final oral feedback with the school.

But the FDA trade union, which represents inspectors, said Ofsted has assured it that extra help will be at hand during “peak times”.

Matt Newman, FDA national officer for Ofsted, said: “During consultations (with the inspectorate) we have received assurances from Ofsted that they are taking measures to address concerns and prevent unnecessary delays by ensuring more trained staff are available at peak times – particularly on Wednesday afternoons when demand may be higher.

“We remain satisfied by these assurances, but will be monitoring the situation closely going forward and continuing to engage with the employer.”

Where will capacity come from?

However Adrian Gray, a consultant and former inspector, questioned where this additional capacity would come from.

“The issue of immediate help desk support has been a well-known issue amongst inspectors for some time whilst there may also be an increase in schools wanting to make contact,” he said.

“Unless Ofsted has a resource of experienced inspector-advisers going spare, the new arrangements are bound to create additional challenges.”

An Ofsted spokesperson said it has had “lots of positive feedback from school leaders on our move to Monday notifications.”

“Our focus is now on delivering this reform smoothly, reducing pressure on school leaders and improving further the consistency of our work.”

If a school is open in a week that includes a bank holiday, Ofsted has said it “may notify the school on the Tuesday of that week”.

In a typical week, it now intends for inspectors to write reports on a Thursday.

On Fridays, Ofsted bosses will “lead a rigorous consistency review of inspection finding” and activities such as lead inspector training will also take place, the watchdog said.