• Ofsted accused of legal breach over lack of SEND consultations

    Ofsted is facing accusations it breached equality laws after failing to consult any special needs organisations on its new framework before its finalised plans went out to public consultation. The inspectorate also neglected to include any SEND-specific research in the 321 sources of analysis to help shape the framework, Schools Week can reveal. They rejected…

    5.00 Oct. 4th, 2019 | News

  • How Labour's 'back to the future' Ofsted plans can work

    Labour’s recently announced plan for remodelled school inspection reads as a hopeful case of “back to the future”. Its proposals envisage a two-tier quality assurance system very similar to the generally respected, though uneven, one abolished in ‘a fit absence of mind’ by the Conservatives in 1992. It is important to stress that the original…

    10.00 Sep. 24th, 2019 | Opinion

  • Ofsted recruits 30 inspectors to ramp up outstanding school visits

    Ofsted has launched a £2 million pound recruitment push ahead of the expected lifting of the exemption for “outstanding” schools. The watchdog is looking to take on another 30 inspectors (HMI) on starting salaries of £72,665 once they have passed probation, according to its advert. If all 30 roles are filled, the salaries would total…

    5.00 Sep. 21st, 2019 | News

  • Labour refuses to rule out replacing Ofsted

    Labour is “looking at all options” for an overhaul of the school accountability system, including replacing Ofsted. In an exclusive eve-of-conference interview with Schools Week, Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, refuses to rule out scrapping the inspectorate, but does concede there is a need to replace it with a new system to hold schools…

    7.00 Sep. 20th, 2019 | LPC, News, Politics

  • Ofsted's off-rolling analysis reveals 13% spike in schools with 'exceptional' pupil movement

    The number of schools with exceptional levels of pupil movement has risen by 13 per cent in one year, despite Ofsted’s action to crack down on off-rolling. Analysis released today reveals that 340 schools had exceptional levels of pupil movement, up from 300 the year before. The watchdog’s latest study looked at pupil movement between…

    13.08 Sep. 6th, 2019 | News

  • Ofsted's inspection grace period won't apply to full primary curriculum

    Ofsted’s curriculum grace period will not apply to reading, writing and maths in primary schools. Further details of the education watchdog’s transition plans to give schools some breathing space in developing their curriculum were released in notes to inspectors today. It shows the transition arrangements apply to four of the “good” criteria of the quality…

    15.51 Sep. 5th, 2019 | News

  • Inspections cause teacher stress, and 4 other findings from Ofsted's wellbeing research

    Ofsted has found its own inspections are among a host of reasons for poor teacher wellbeing, according to new research published today. The new report also found that parents and senior leaders also contribute to teacher stress. Here are five of the most interesting findings from the research.   1. Ofsted is a big cause…

    11.14 Jul. 22nd, 2019 | News

  • What to do when an inspector calls

    Leaders should keep a cool head and take practical steps to prepare for the phone call from Ofsted, writes Ian Hartwright. School leaders tell us they are relieved that Ofsted has dropped plans to arrive on-site within a couple of hours of notifying a school of an inspection. But, from September, head teachers will be expected…

    5.00 Jul. 20th, 2019 | Opinion

  • Bonuses for senior Ofsted staff rise to £110k, and 5 more annual report findings

    Ofsted has today published its annual report and accounts for 2018-19. Schools Week has rounded up the key findings.   1. Bonus pay-outs to senior bosses rise to (up to) £110,000 Eight senior staff got bonuses this year, totalling between £70,000 to £110,000. The reason for the size of the range is that bonuses are…

    14.35 Jul. 18th, 2019 | News

  • Spielman: 'Red herring' to blame plunge in D&T numbers solely on EBacc

    Ofsted’s chief inspector has defended the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) as being the main driver of plunging pupil numbers for subjects such as design and technology. Amanda Spielman said today that between 2003 and 2017, the number of design and technology GCSEs taken by 16-year-olds in England “plummeted” by nearly two-thirds, from 420,000 pupils to just…

    15.26 Jul. 10th, 2019 | News

  • Ofsted: Curriculum intent isn't new, and it won't be the 'next big thing'

    Ofsted has said that its curriculum intent requirements are “nothing new”, nor the “next big thing”, as it attempts to alleviate concerns over the new inspection framework. The schools inspectorate said today that there was no need for headteachers to write new statements, adapt websites or restructure staffing to cover intent. The watchdog said it…

    12.53 Jul. 1st, 2019 | News