OFSTED should be certain that accountability “is rigorously balanced with the wellbeing of teachers” because it implements wide-ranging reforms to the way in which during which schools are inspected, church education bodies have warned.
A 12 months ago, the Government announced that the usage of one- or two-word grading for schools by Ofsted can be scrapped with immediate effect. Before this, schools were rated by Ofsted inspectors as either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate (News, 6 September 2024).
The system had been criticised as lacking sensitivity and respect, after an inquiry last 12 months concluded that an Ofsted inspection had contributed to the death of a headteacher in Reading, Ruth Perry. She took her own life while waiting for the Ofsted report of her school — which she knew had been rated inadequate — to be published.
The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS), which inspects church schools on behalf of the Church’s National Society for Education and Methodist Church, switched from an analogous system in 2023, and not grades schools with single words (News, 24 March 2023).
On Tuesday, nevertheless, Ofsted confirmed that, slightly than replacing the grading system with narrative descriptions, it could as an alternative introduce report cards, using a five-point, colour-coded scale.
Originally, the watchdog proposed that these points ought to be named: “causing concern”, “attention needed”, “secure”, “strong”, and “exemplary”. But responses to a public consultation suggested that these labels were each confusing and harsh. They have now been renamed “urgent improvement”, “needs attention”, “expected standard”, “strong standard”, and “exceptional”.
The aim is “to boost standards” in schools, the announcement said. Narrative descriptions are to be included within the report cards, an example of which has been published by Ofsted.
The Director of SIAMS, Dr Margaret James, said on Tuesday: “We recognise the more transparent and inclusive direction of Ofsted’s latest inspection approach and welcome its recognition of every school’s unique context. As implementation begins, it’s vital that accountability to oldsters and the general public is rigorously balanced with the wellbeing of teachers — particularly in light of the continuing concerns raised across the timeline of changes and workload.”
Other reforms announced by Ofsted this week include expanding the range of evaluation areas, while reducing the variety of “core” evaluation areas from eight to 6, adding a latest category on “inclusion”. Safeguarding might be judged individually, as either “met” or “not met”. A toolkit to grasp the grading and colour-coding has been “tightened”, Ofsted said, and an additional inspector added to groups for at some point of all full inspections.
The Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: “Our latest report cards will give parents a clearer understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement on the places where their children learn. We will work with the professionals in schools, early years and further education to assist them showcase one of the best of what they do — and help them discover where they will improve.”
The reforms will take effect from 10 November for early years, state-funded schools, and further-education and skills inspections.
