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19 April 2026

Tag: Ofsted

NAHT launches commission to investigate school accountability

The way schools are held to account will be investigated by a new independent commission that seeks to find a “credible alternative” to the system of inspections and league tables – and Ofsted and the DfE have promised to get involved. The commission, which will propose an “alternative vision for the future” of school accountability […]

Ofsted boss calls for teachers to prove subject knowledge to stay qualified

Teachers should have to prove their subject knowledge is up-to-date at regular intervals to maintain their qualified status, a top Ofsted boss has said. Professor Daniel Muijs (pictured), the watchdog’s head of research, said he supported a “periodic requirement” for teachers to demonstrate they know about the latest research and discoveries in their subject area. […]

What should an Ofsted inspection framework for multi-academy trusts look like?

The debate around the accountability of multi-academy trusts has intensified in recent months, writes Michael Pain As a handful of high-profile cases of failure hit the headlines, the calls for greater and more joined-up oversight of academy trusts have intensified. Indeed, just two days before MAT CEOs and trustees met for Forum Education’s most recent […]

Ofsted allows newly-trained staff to lead short inspections

Ofsted will allow 25 junior inspectors who signed up to a fast-track training programme with a cash incentive to lead new short inspections. Payments of £5,360 were made to 25 junior inspectors for a 10-day training programme to prepare them to lead short inspections – a new form of one or two-day visits to schools […]

Ofsted rejects plans to monitor schools via social media

Ofsted will not use information posted on social media by pupils and parents to identify schools in need of intervention, to the relief of opponents of the plans. The approach was floated in the watchdog’s ‘Innovation and regulation plan’, published in March, but a spokesperson has now told Schools Week that the strategy “was not […]

Bold Beginnings: how NOT to write an Ofsted report

The battle for the soul of reception continues, especially on social media, writes Colin Richards It is clear that Ofsted has mismanaged both the writing and the reception of its report, ‘Bold Beginnings‘. There has been needless, counterproductive recrimination both by inspectors and critics. It is time that rational discussion replaced rhetoric and injured self-justification. Let’s […]

Ofsted: More challenging KS2 SATs are leaving poorer pupils behind

Harder key stage 2 SATs have resulted in a wider attainment gap between children on free meals and their peers, Ofsted has said. In the watchdog’s annual report, released today, key stage 2 SATs are directly blamed for widening results in reading, writing and maths. Ofsted notes the “more demanding key stage 2 SATs and […]

Ofsted leadership approval soars under Spielman

A survey of civil servants working at the schools watchdog shows a surge in approval of Ofsted’s leadership and ability to manage change this year. The 2017 civil service people survey has offered the first glimpse into life at the inspectorate under Amanda Spielman, who took over as chief inspector from Sir Michael Wilshaw in […]

Ofsted hopes to move away from safeguarding ‘compliance’ checks

Ofsted wants its safeguarding procedures to have “impact”, rather than merely checking that schools are “compliant”, an inspector has said. Lee Northern (pictured), a specialist advisor on inspection policy, hopes his employer will do away with its “compliance-checking function” and move to “an impact-checking function” in future. Safeguarding, he told SSAT delegates, is like marking, […]