Ofsted | Schools Week

Ofsted orders action plan from council over SEND pupils’ ‘spiral of decline’

SEND pupils have fallen into a “spiral of decline” and are being excluded too often because a region’s authorities have failed to work together, a damning report has found. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found “significant areas of weakness” in the services provided by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Dorset Clinical […]

Ofsted tells inspectors to explicitly state when off-rolling is found to quash school denials

Ofsted has told its inspectors to explicitly state in their reports when evidence of off-rolling is found after schools falsely denied it had taken place. Previously, inspectors were simply told to “address” evidence of off-rolling in reports. But the documents did not always use the phrase “off-rolling”, even when the practice was identified. But in […]

MPs tell government to ‘shake up status quo’ on home education

MPs have slammed an “astonishing” lack of data on the number of children educated at home, and called for more powers for councils to check on their progress and welfare. School leaders backed calls for the government to introduce a national register of children educated at home, and to investigate a recent rise amid concerns […]

Treasury marks DfE’s 11,500-word homework laying out its vision

The Department for Education has published an 11,590-word “outcome delivery plan,” detailing the wide-ranging goals and performance metrics it agreed with the Treasury last year to justify its funding. Sector leaders welcomed the move to greater transparency and accountability. But they said the DfE’s plan lacked detail overall and lacked metrics in significant areas, including […]

Teacher training provider to shut after ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating

An academy trust will close its teacher training provision after it was rated ‘inadequate’ under Ofsted’s new ITE inspection framework. Consilium SCITT in Salford will shut down at the end of August after inspectors downgraded it from ‘outstanding’ to ‘inadequate’ and said it was “letting down” its trainees following an inspection in May. The provider […]

Secondary school league tables to return in 2021-22

Secondary school league tables will be brought back next academic year after being suspended for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government has said. But primary schools will not see their test results published in national league tables for another year. The Department for Education has today confirmed school and college accountability arrangements […]

School fighting academisation can’t demonstrate improvement because of Covid, High Court hears

A primary school fighting government plans to convert it into an academy has been unable to demonstrate improvement because Ofsted inspections were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, the High Court has heard. Governors of Yew Tree Primary School in Sandwell have brought a judicial review of a decision by education secretary Gavin Williamson to refuse […]

Ofsted’s 2020-21 annual report and accounts: 8 things we learned

Ofsted has published its corporate annual report and accounts, laying bare how the watchdog’s work has changed in an unprecedented year in which most of its functions were scaled back. The document focuses on the inspectorate’s performance, and is not the same as the official annual report to Parliament each year, which focuses on inspection […]

Two ITE providers rated ‘inadequate’ in first tranche of new Ofsted inspections

Two initial teacher education (ITE) providers have been rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted in the first tranche of inspections under its new framework, after inspectors found fault with the quality of training, mentoring and their curriculums. Cumbria Teacher Training and The Solent SCITT have been downgraded to ‘inadequate’ in new reports published today. Both were previously […]