• Labour 'got it wrong' on scrapping Ofsted, says shadow schools minister

    Ofsted plays an “important role” and Labour was “wrong” to pledge to scrap it without making clear it would be replaced with something better, the shadow schools minister has said. Wes Streeting told the Schools and Academies Show this morning that instead of calling for Ofsted’s demise, educationalists should tell Labour “how to make it…

    11.05 Nov. 19th, 2020 | News

  • 'We'll help kids rise to the challenge' - heads contradict Ofsted chief on exams

    Cancelling exams in 2021 will not result in pupils becoming disengaged, headteachers have told MPs, as they vowed to work with “whatever system” they are presented with. Six school leaders appeared in front of the Parliamentary education committee this morning to give evidence on left-behind white disadvantaged pupils. Whatever system you give us, we will…

    13.18 Nov. 17th, 2020 | News

  • Restricting exams to core subjects 'under consideration', suggests Spielman

    Ofqual is considering whether to only have exams in core subjects next year, with centre-assessment grades used for the remainder, Amanda Spielman has suggested. The Ofsted chief inspector, who is chairing Ofqual’s new “recovery committee” formed to oversee the fallout from this year’s exams fiasco, said holding exams only in core subjects was “the kind…

    12.59 Nov. 10th, 2020 | News

  • SEND pupils told schools 'can't accommodate them', claims Spielman

    Schools have been telling parents they can’t accommodate pupils with special educational needs and disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic, Amanda Spielman has claimed. The chief inspector of schools told the National Children and Adult Services Conference this morning that children had been “left without access to therapy and education for months”. They’ve been told that…

    12.55 Nov. 6th, 2020 | News

  • DfE and agencies' performance-related bonus spend rises to over £6m

    The Department for Education and its agencies paid out over £6 million in performance-related bonuses in 2018-19, an increase of almost 7 per cent on the previous year. Data on non-consolidated performance-related payments shows the DfE itself paid out £4,611,694 last year, up from £4,482,570 the previous year, while Ofsted paid out £1,181,764, up from…

    18.12 Oct. 29th, 2020 | News

  • Decrease in schools getting top grades, and 6 other findings from Ofsted's inspections data

    Ofsted judged a lower proportion of schools to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in the first year of its new inspection framework. The watchdog has published management information on inspections conducted in the 2019-20 academic year, which takes into account reports published between April and the end of August. However, the data is based on a…

    13.57 Oct. 29th, 2020 | News

  • Outstanding schools set for Ofsted inspections next year - but may face 6-year wait

    Outstanding schools are set to be inspected again when Ofsted inspections resume next year – but it will now take up to six years to get through them all. The government has published its response to the consultation on removing the inspection exemption for the top-rated schools. It was introduced by former education secretary Michael…

    10.22 Oct. 1st, 2020 | News

  • Spielman: Not 'realistic' to expect schools to provide 'full' online teaching

    It is not “sensible or realistic” to expect schools to provide a “full on-screen taught programme” for all absent pupils, Amanda Spielman has said. The chief inspector of schools told academy trust leaders this morning that interim visits due to start next week will look at how schools are “responding intelligently and doing what is…

    14.11 Sep. 24th, 2020 | News

  • Ofsted will check school 'readiness' to teach relationships and sex education from January

    Schools will have their “readiness” to teach the new relationships and sex education curriculum assessed by Ofsted from January, the watchdog has said. And schools failing to teach about LGBT relationships from the summer term in 2021 risk a ‘requires improvement’ judgment for their leadership and management. New guidance issued by Ofsted this morning confirms…

    10.14 Sep. 17th, 2020 | News

  • Ofsted's autumn SEND 'visits' could prompt school inspections

    Inspections of local area SEND provision could prompt emergency visits to individual schools if “serious concerns” emerge, Ofsted has said. In July it was announced that full SEND inspections, normally conducted across whole council areas by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission, would not go ahead in the autumn. Interim visits would be carried out…

    5.00 Sep. 12th, 2020 | News

  • Council wants schools to 'prepare' for Ofsted visits

    A council in the south of England is insisting schools consider “adequate preparation plans” ahead of Ofsted’s autumn “visits”, despite reassurances from the inspectorate that no preparation is needed. Unions say the action by West Sussex confirms school leaders’ fears that the “visits” will create extra pressure and work for staff trying to get back…

    17.00 Sep. 11th, 2020 | News