OFSTED
An Inspector Calls GOVERNMENT GOALS FOR OFSTED ARE MORE AMB I T IOUS THAN EVER , WI TH MANY SCHOOLS WELCOMING THE INPUT AND SEE ING POS I T I VE RESULTS
A
mid all the reports from schools about the devastating impact of the pandemic, there’s a sliver of good news. Perhaps surprisingly,
inspectors are finding that not only are state schools doing well, but their inspection grades overall are better than they were before the pandemic. Inspections had been suspended from March 2020. While inevitable, it also meant that schools could concentrate on things that really mattered – staying open, so that vulnerable pupils, those with SEN, and children of key workers were able to continue their education. When it was announced that inspections would be starting again in autumn 2021, not everyone was pleased, fearing that it would simply add to the pressure that schools were already under. A petition, which attracted 13,000 signatories (some way short of the 100,000 required to trigger a parliamentary debate), called unsuccessfully for the suspension to be extended to September 2022. School leaders may not exactly jump for joy when they hear that the Ofsted inspection team is on the way (a separate organisation, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, evaluates fee-paying schools). And you can’t blame them. These days, inspections can take place with minimal notice and, where something is suspected to be going badly wrong, they can even be unannounced. Even when this isn’t the case and schools can be reasonably confident that an inspection is on the cards (and most
CAMBR IDGE EDUCAT ION GUIDE 31
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