The proportion of schools who said the benefits of their most recent Ofsted inspection “outweighed any negative aspects” jumped considerably in the year that headline grades were ditched, new data shows.
But the proportion feeling positive about the way inspectors handled inspections has risen only marginally – despite huge efforts from Ofsted to boost inspectors’ awareness of wellbeing and mental health while leading visits.
Post-inspection surveys carried out by Ofsted between last April and the end of March show 84 per cent of state schools felt benefits of their inspection “outweighed any negative aspects” – up from 77 per cent the previous year.
Meanwhile 97 per cent said inspectors “carried out the inspection in a professional manner” and 94 per cent were “satisfied” with how their inspection was carried out – both increases of just one percentage point.
A number of significant changes have taken place at Ofsted in the time period the survey coveys.
The inspectorate ditched headline grades last September, after a damning coroner’s report found an Ofsted inspection had “contributed to” the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry.
As part of Ofsted’s plans to improve, all inspectors were given mental health training in January 2024. That same month, a policy to pause inspections if there are serious concerns about the wellbeing of leaders was also introduced.
However, one issue with the survey is the number of schools taking part plummeted by more than half in last year to just 1,500, compared to almost 3,500 the previous year.
The survey also did not provide response figures broken down by the school’s rating. Schools Week has previously reported schools given higher grades are typically more likely to take part in surveys and be more positive about their experience.
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