Ofsted confirms new model for inspecting services

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, set out details for new shorter inspections, which will take place once every three years and will look at the quality of leadership.

Speaking to more than 400 headteachers, college principals and early years professionals, he also announced plans to recognise “exceptional leaders” by sending letters to them acknowledging their achievements.

He further said that the system would look to address the “shocking underachievement of bright youngsters from disadvantaged homes”, by asking whether institutions had good materials to work with.

The event, in central London, was the first of eight conferences around the country designed to share the details of the new plans.

Under the new model Ofsted will inspect good schools and further education and skills providers once every three years, starting from September this year.

Inspectors will start from a premise that the school or provider is still good and focus on ensuring that those standards are being maintained.

They will check that leaders have identified key areas of concern and that they have the capacity to address them.

Sir Michael (pictured) said: “Make no mistake, this is a very different inspection model to what has gone before.

“The starting assumption of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) will be that the school or college is good. This should engender an atmosphere in which honest, challenging, professional dialogue can take place.

“Leaders will have nothing to fear from accurately identifying at the outset any weaknesses in their provision – as well as the strengths – based on their own evaluation. HMI will be looking to see that the leadership has a clear understanding of the key areas for development – and a credible and effective plan for addressing these.

“Short inspections will reduce the burden of inspection without losing the rigour which parents and the public rightly expect of Ofsted.”

He added that the types of questions asked would be those expected, for example whether the leaders understand their institutions’ strengths and weaknesses, if they are focussed on what benefits children and young people, and whether they refuse to accept excuses for underachievement.

Sir Michael also highlighted that another question inspectors would ask is whether the leaders tolerated “scrappy worksheets” or if they insisted that children should have good materials to work with.

Explaining this, he commented: “I make this last point because HMI increasingly report to me, and I’ve seen it for myself, that too many schools, particularly secondary schools, have conceded defeat on this issue. As a senior leader in a secondary school said to an HMI recently, ‘we don’t allow our children to take books home because they won’t bring them back the following day.’

“What on earth does that tell us about the culture in that particular institution? What on earth does it tell us about leaders who are not prepared to fight the good fight on this basic issue?

“How on earth will we ever begin to address the shocking underachievement of bright youngsters from disadvantaged homes, if we carry on patronising the poor and serving them up with lower expectations?”

Referring to the letters that would be sent to exceptional leaders, it was announced that a copy would also be sent to the Secretary of State, with Ofsted’s Annual Report featuring those recognised.

Sir Michael said: “Those leaders who are taking risks, putting themselves out and disseminating good practice beyond their own institution need to be celebrated as exceptional reformers.”

As well as short inspections for good schools and further education and skills providers, September will see a number of other changes.

Sir Michael announced his intention to open up Ofsted’s complaints process to greater accountability.

Each Ofsted region will set up a ‘scrutiny committee’ made up of HMI and leading headteachers, early years and college leaders not involved in carrying out inspections for Ofsted. They will assess and rule on the internal reviews of complaints about inspection.

Additionally, from September, Ofsted Inspectors directly contracted by the inspectorate will undertake inspections.

Seven out of 10 of these inspectors will be serving practitioners from good and outstanding schools and colleges, with all of their training, quality assurance and performance management directly overseen by HMI.

The changes were welcomed as step in the right direction, with Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, saying they had the potential to make the inspection system “fairer and more effective”.

He said: “While we welcomed its plan to carry out short inspections of ‘good’ schools rather than full inspections, we felt that schools likely to be downgraded, or upgraded, should immediately have the required full inspection rather than being kept in limbo. We are reassured that our advice has been acted upon.

“We believe it is right that the inspection system should focus on outcomes, rather than telling schools how to teach. This is a step in the right direction.”

While the association president, Peter Kent, who is headteacher of Lawrence Sheriff School in Rugby, and an Ofsted inspector, said the measures reflected a constructive dialogue between Ofsted and school and college leaders, “which is important in helping us to achieve our shared goal of an outstanding education for every child”.