Ofsted | Schools Week

Ofsted ordered to amend report claiming gender segregation broke law

A school has lost its High Court challenge to overturn an Ofsted report placing it in “special measures”, although the watchdog has been ordered to amend its finding which said segregating pupils by gender was against the law. An Islamic faith-based school, which for legal reasons can only be named as ‘School X’, was inspected […]

Ofsted offers up extra cash to entice inspectors to lead school visits

Ofsted will offer cash incentives to lure less experienced inspectors into leading more school visits under a new action plan that also targets recruitment in struggling regions. Inspectors will be paid to attend a new “comprehensive” training programme to boost the number of lead inspectors. Ofsted has also launched a trial for Ofsted inspectors, formerly […]

Ofsted quietly ditches good practice case studies

Ofsted has abandoned its policy of publishing good practice to help to dispel myths that it insists on “prescribed methods of teaching and learning”. The watchdog launched a dedicated webpage in 2010 on which it routinely published examples of good practice found during school visits. However, the page has not been updated since September last […]

Jarlath O’Brien, headteacher, Carwarden House community school

Ofsted is not something Jarlath O’Brien talks about to his staff, he tells me, as we sip tea in his office, foliage framing our conversation. He goes a little further: “I don’t give a shit about Ofsted, really. They’re nice people and they’ve got a job to do, but they can come to our school […]

The Art of Standing Out: School transformation, to greatness and beyond

The title of this book made me think that it was going to be about Ofsted. Overall, it’s not. It is about leadership in schools; its challenges and potential rewards. Morrish’s experience and wisdom has been packed into 206 pages, which includes his NQT year in a catholic school and, later, working as a headteacher […]

Schools face action over ‘bogus’ Ofsted logos

Hundreds of schools have been alerted to possible legal action by Ofsted after an obscure policy about unauthorised use of its logo to advertise a “good” rating surfaced. Last week, Schools Week’s sister paper FE Week revealed how an unnamed training provider had been threatened with court action by the education watchdog for using a […]

Ofsted and Ofqual seek top calibre candidates for chair position

Ofsted and Ofqual have begun their quests to fill empty chairmanships as both face unsteady times as new chief executives settle in. Amanda Spielman leaves as Ofqual chair after five years to take the top spot at Ofsted when Sir Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector, departs in December. Spielman briefly acted as interim chief regulator […]

Ofsted chair resigns weeks after disparaging remarks about Isle of Wight

Ofsted chair David Hoare is stepping down from his position with immediate effect, the education watchdog has confirmed. An Ofsted spokesperson told FE Week, Schools Week’s sister paper, this morning that senior non-executive board member James Kempton has agreed to take on the role of chair on an interim basis — while Justine Greening, the education […]

High court battle reveals ploy to make profit from running state schools

A high court showdown between a former Ofsted chair and the consultancy firm where she worked has revealed details of how a private company planned to make profits from running state-funded academies and free schools. Zenna Atkins, chair of Ofsted from 2006 to 2010, has been ordered to pay damages to her former employer, Wey […]