Ofsted | Schools Week

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Covid-19: Ofsted rebukes school that did not contact pupils ‘frequently enough’

Ofsted has accused one of the largest special schools in the country of failing to contact its pupils often enough during partial closures – leaving children “at risk of harm”. The watchdog said safeguarding arrangements at Severndale Specialist Academy in Shrewsbury were “not effective” after an emergency inspection in July. The “no formal designation” inspection […]

Ofsted director seconded to help government plan for reopening of schools

A senior Ofsted director has been seconded to a government team planning for the return of pupils to schools. Sean Harford, the watchdog’s national director of education, moved temporarily to the Cabinet Office this week to work on the government’s response to the pandemic. He will be there until the end of the year. Schools […]

Confidence in accuracy of new inspections falls, long-awaited full Ofsted survey shows

Fewer schools think Ofsted’s new inspections are accurate and clear, full survey results finally released by the watchdog have revealed. Ofsted has today published the full responses to it post-inspection surveys, which includes those dating back to 2015 under the old framework. It follows a Freedom of Information request battle by Schools Week to get […]

Ofsted confirms shake-up of redress system – but will give schools longer to complain

Ofsted has confirmed it will proceed with a shake-up of the redress system for inspections, but will give schools five working days to complain, rather than two. The watchdog has published the outcome to its consultation on changes to complaints, which was launched in March. The consultation proposed that formal complaints raised by schools within […]

Nine things we learned from Ofsted’s 2019-20 annual report and accounts

The education watchdog Ofsted has published its corporate annual report and accounts, which give an update on the inspectorate’s performance as an organisation. The document is not to be confused with its official annual report, which is a report to parliament on its inspection activity, and is normally released in the winter. Here are nine […]