All posts tagged: ofsted

Special school reports drop mainstream comparisons

Special school reports drop mainstream comparisons

Published by skeptic

Schools Week previously reported how special schools were being compared to mainstream schools within the same age range Schools Week previously reported how special schools were being compared to mainstream schools within the same age range More from this theme Recent articles Special school Ofsted inspection report cards will no longer compare their cohorts to national mainstream averages after complaints from heads. Ofsted provides contextual data about schools to parents, including data metrics such as capacity and pupil demographics. But Schools Week previously reported how special schools were being compared to mainstream schools within the same age range. The report for Rotherham-based The Willows School, for instance, shows that 100 per cent of pupils have education, health and care plans (EHCPs). But it is unusual for pupils to attend a special school without a plan. Yet the report card claimed this is “well above” a national average of 3.1 per cent. It also stated that the 190-pupil school is “well below” an average of 1,067, which related to secondary schools overall, including mainstream. Ofsted should …

Ofsted, DRET, The Brilliant Club

Ofsted, DRET, The Brilliant Club

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles This week’s movers and shakers include an avid motorcyclist, a Bollywood backing dancer and a roller derby player. This column is our fortnightly guide to who is moving where in the schools community. We are keen to hear about appointments at a senior level. Please send submissions for this section to news@schoolsweek.co.uk with ‘Movers and shakers’ in the subject line. Katharine Vincent Ofsted HMI Start date: April  Current role: Senior director of research, innovation and improvement, Mulberry Schools Trust Interesting fact: Public service runs in Katharine’s family, with eight teachers, two chairs of governors, a parish councillor and a university administrator just in her immediate family. Aron Whiles Executive director of secondary education, David Ross Education Trust Start date: June Current role: Education director at Ormiston Academies Trust Interesting fact: Aron is an avid motorcyclist in his spare time and rode a full lap of the 37.7 mile Isle of Man TT circuit last year as part of a visit to watch the island’s famous TT races. Kimberley Lawton Executive director of primary …

Ofsted recruiting inspectors in ‘groups’ under new pilot

Ofsted recruiting inspectors in ‘groups’ under new pilot

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Ofsted has announced a new way of recruiting “groups” of school and college leaders to work as part-time inspectors, in a bid to make inspections “more collaborative than ever before”. School and college inspections are currently carried out by full-time his majesty’s inspectors (HMI) and contracted Ofsted inspectors (OIs), who are typically serving leaders. OIs typically join Ofsted “as individuals”, but the inspectorate says this “can restrict chances for two-way professional reflection and shared learning”. Under a pilot announced this morning, Ofsted is trialling recruiting OIs as “groups of peers drawn from professional organisations and networks they’re already part of”. This includes multi-academy trusts, local authorities, dioceses and local school networks. But inspectors will not be paid directly, with payments instead going to their employers. The scheme is already underway, says Ofsted, and is hoped to encourage OIs to “form a professional community with each other and with HMI”. OI not paid directly, under scheme Currently, contracted Ofsted inspectors are paid directly for their work. As a team inspector on a …

Ofsted chief criticised over inspection framework comparison

Ofsted chief criticised over inspection framework comparison

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles The head of Ofsted believes the fact that it issues more ‘needs attention’ grades than ‘requires improvement’ is evidence that the watchdog is raising standards, prompting criticism for comparing the new and old frameworks. When Martyn Oliver addresses the annual conference of leaders’ union ASCL in Liverpool this morning, he will criticise “the quiet curse of low expectations” and lay out how Ofsted’s new framework is setting a “more exacting” standard for education. “We are coming from a place where more than 90 per cent of schools were previously judged good or outstanding at their most recent inspection,” he will say. “But our job is to point out where expectations can and should be raised. The new report cards do this. “Take the ‘needs attention’ grade. We are seeing more schools receive this grade than the old ‘requires improvement’ because we are raising standards. We are being more exacting. I make no apologies for that.” But his comments about the system – put in place in response to the …

New Ofsted policy sees 1 in 8 inspections deferred or paused

New Ofsted policy sees 1 in 8 inspections deferred or paused

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Ofsted deferred or paused one in eight school inspections in the first full year of a new policy aimed at lessening its impact on leaders’ wellbeing, data suggests. The current mechanism that allows school leaders to request an inspection be delayed or put on hold was introduced in January 2024, as part of a raft of reforms that responded to the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry. A coroner ruled in late 2023 that an Ofsted inspection of Caversham Primary School in Reading had contributed to her death. New data released yesterday (Thursday) shows that between April 2024 and April 2025, more than 800 headteachers used the function, and requested their inspections be either paused or deferred. Of the 786 schools that requested a deferral, 79 per cent (621) were accepted, while all 37 requests for a pause were accepted. Schools Week analysis shows there were 5,117 school inspections over the same period. This suggests over 12 per cent were deferred or paused. ‘Exceptional circumstances’ Schools may request an inspection …

Ofsted requests schools publish report QR code with grades

Ofsted requests schools publish report QR code with grades

Published by skeptic

Watchdog wants parents to get links to full reports to avoid ‘cherry picking’ only positive grades Watchdog wants parents to get links to full reports to avoid ‘cherry picking’ only positive grades More from this theme Recent articles Ofsted is requesting schools publish a QR code link alongside any content they share from new report cards to help prevent leaders “cherry picking” grades shared with parents. Sir Martyn Oliver said last month he wanted parents to see the whole report, not just the best parts of it. He announced the watchdog would be introducing QR codes, but it would not be mandatory for schools to publish these. Today, Ofsted has written to schools on how to use them in marketing materials. “As there is no overall judgment to publicise, you are free to highlight your inspection results as you wish – perhaps by listing grades or quoting verbatim from your report card,” they said. “However you choose to present printed content from your Ofsted report card, we request that you only do so alongside our new official …

Faith school which has never passed Ofsted inspection fails again

Faith school which has never passed Ofsted inspection fails again

Published by Sam Flores

An independent faith school which has never met the independent school standards since opening has failed another inspection. Ahavas Torah Boys Academy in Manchester opened in 2014, and has failed nine Ofsted inspections in a row. During the latest inspection last month, Ofsted found that there has been “no notable developments” in the school’s personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, with pupils continuing to be “poorly prepared for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in British society”. Ofsted also found the school has “no careers programme”. As it noted during the previous inspection, the lack of work experience or “any other opportunities to learn about different career options”, meant pupils were “not able to make informed choices about their future pathway”. Ofsted also said there had been “little progress” developing pupils’ understanding of relationships and sex education (RSE), having previously found the school to not be providing an appropriate RSE programme. Jewish counter-extremism group Nahamu has demonstrated how the lack of relationships and sex education (RSE) in strictly orthodox Jewish schools means engaged …

Special school reports drop mainstream comparisons

Ofsted reviews data shown in special school report cards

Published by skeptic

New reports currently compare metrics like capacity of special schools to other schools in their phase, not other specialist settings New reports currently compare metrics like capacity of special schools to other schools in their phase, not other specialist settings More from this theme Recent articles Ofsted is considering removing national data comparators for special schools from its report cards, following concerns that labelling them “well below average” for pupil numbers could confuse and mislead parents. The report cards provide contextual data about schools to parents, but for metrics like school capacity and pupil demographics Ofsted compares special schools to mainstream schools within the same age phase. For instance, the report for Rotherham-based The Willows School shows 100 per cent of pupils have EHCPs. But it is unusual for pupils to attend a special school without a plan. Yet the report card claimed this is “well above” a national average of 3.1 per cent. Warren Carratt Special schools tend to be considerably smaller than mainstream schools, especially at secondary phase. Analysis of government data shows …

First reports show it still requires improvement

First reports show it still requires improvement

Published by skeptic

Greater nuance in the first 100 new Ofsted reports published is welcome, but the new framework’s hardly the fairer grading system promised, says David Scott Reports are now out on the 100 schools which volunteered to be inspected first under Ofsted’s new framework. Some 659 grades have been awarded. Four per cent of grades awarded since November are ‘exceptional’, mostly issued to secondary schools. Secondaries made up a quarter of those inspected, with 69 primaries and six special schools. Overall, thirty-five per cent are ‘strong standard’, 56 per cent ‘expected standard’ and 5 per cent ‘needs attention’. No volunteer schools have yet received an ‘urgent improvement’ grade. One recent report for a ‘non-volunteer’ school, inspected because of concerns, shows us what the lowest end of the grading spectrum looks like on paper, though. While overall grades have been scrapped, it is usually obvious where the balance lies from a quick calculation of the individual evaluation area grades. Are inspectors playing it safe? The neutral option of a five-point scale or any odd number can lead …

Ofsted plans closer monitoring of impact on heads’ wellbeing

Ofsted plans closer monitoring of impact on heads’ wellbeing

Published by skeptic

More from this theme Recent articles Ofsted has agreed to gather more feedback from school leaders on inspections’ impact on their wellbeing, as part of a deal with heads that will see a new “independent advisory group” launched. Unions have repeatedly warned Ofsted’s new education inspection framework (EIF), which assesses schools across more areas than before, means more pressure on leaders. The National Association of Head Teachers had been mulling industrial action over Ofsted’s five-point grading scale, after its application for a judicial review was thrown out by the High Court last year. The EIF was launched in November. But Schools Week understands the agreements reached with Ofsted this week have put plans for further action on ice. The inspectorate will add further questions on wellbeing to its existing survey of leaders about the new framework. The questions are still being drawn up. New advisory group planned The data, collected from a representative sample of schools, will then be scrutinised by an advisory group set up by the NAHT. Ofsted and the Department for Education …