Ofsted has announced a series of webinars and regional events for schools to quell fears about the pace of its reforms.
The watchdog has faced growing criticism over the short timeline for implementation of its new report cards and inspection framework.
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver was also recently reprimanded by the education secretary Bridget Phillipson after announcing Ofsted would not confirm its final plans this academic year after all, pushing the announcement back to September.
This gives schools and inspectors a matter of weeks to prepare for the new inspections when they resume in November.
In response, the inspectorate has announced a “full programme of sector engagement to be launched in September”.
Oliver said: “I know there are some concerns about the timeline for these changes, that’s why we are planning such a comprehensive programme.
“I have every confidence that our approach will support a successful roll-out of new-look inspections in November.”
Regional events planned
The programme of webinars and regional events “will continue throughout the autumn term, offering providers a range of opportunities to familiarise themselves with the changes ahead of inspections under the renewed framework beginning in November”, Ofsted added.
Different types of provider will get their own live webinars, with a full programme available online, and recordings due to be made available on YouTube afterwards.
Ofsted will also hold “face-to-face and online regional events, hosted by local providers, local authorities and partners.
These events will “help providers build on their understanding of the renewed framework, supported by published materials”.
Oliver said: “I want to reassure education providers that, through our national engagement programme and published materials, they will be able to familiarise themselves with the changes during the first part of the autumn term – while routine school and further education and skills inspections are on hold.
“Our Inspectors will all receive extensive training between now and November, and many will have had the experience of a full pilot inspection.”
Nominees ‘not mandatory’
Ofsted has also released more information about how its new system of “nominees” will work for school inspections.
The watchdog announced in its consultation in February that it would ask “every provider to nominate a senior member of staff to work closely with the inspector or inspection team throughout the inspection”.
Ofsted has clarified today it “will not be mandatory” for any school to appoint a nominee.
The system is already in place for further education inspections, and Ofsted said every provider had one in place, despite it not being mandatory.
In advance of the renewed framework, Ofsted said it will “offer a short online training package tailored for nominees in specific remits.
These sessions “will provide an overview of the framework and more information on how nominees can work together with inspectors during a future inspection”.
But Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Scrambling this programme together in order to try to allay the widespread concerns about the speed of implementing major changes to the inspection system is surely not the answer.
“The sensible thing would simply be to delay its introduction in order to give providers time to familiarise themselves and their staff with the new framework. The inspectorate and government must also reconsider the planned five-point grading scale which is a recipe for chaos.”
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