Amid ongoing educational reforms in the UK, Ofsted has announced significant changes to its inspection process, particularly for ungraded inspections. Starting in September, deep dives will be removed, allowing school leaders to highlight their strengths and address areas for improvement.
This initiative aligns with feedback from small primary schools, seeking to lessen the inspection burden while enhancing collaboration.
Overview of the Changes
The recent revisions to the inspection process stem from extensive feedback, especially from smaller primary schools that found deep dives challenging.
The new approach focuses on extended learning walks, thereby enabling inspectors to assess the curriculum’s impact and pupils’ development without the intense scrutiny of deep dives.
The key goal, therefore, is to create a more flexible and collaborative inspection environment for all schools.
The Impact on School Leaders
These changes aim to alleviate the burden on school leaders, enabling them to have more time to discuss their school’s strengths and areas for improvement with inspectors.
The emphasis is now on professional dialogue, where inspectors aim to understand the school’s context, priorities, and progress since the last inspection. This shift is expected to benefit nearly 3,000 schools scheduled for ungraded inspections next year.
Sir Martyn Oliver’s NAHT Speech
In his address at the NAHT conference, Sir Martyn Oliver emphasized the importance of listening to feedback from various stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and students.
Moreover, his focus on providing school leaders with opportunities to showcase their improvements and discuss ongoing challenges reflects Ofsted’s commitment to reducing the inspection burden and fostering a positive dialogue.
The Big Listen Consultation
Ofsted’s Big Listen consultation has garnered over 15,000 responses, reflecting a broad range of opinions on the inspection process. This consultation, running until the end of May, aims to identify areas for improvement and announce further measures in the autumn. The focus is on creating a world-class inspection system that supports children, schools, and communities.
The Benefits of the Changes
The changes benefit all schools by replacing deep dives with extended learning walks, creating a more focused inspection plan that aligns with the school’s needs. This approach is particularly helpful for smaller schools, where deep dives often stretched resources thin. The goal is to ensure that inspectors spend inspection time effectively, benefiting students, educators, and the broader community.
Closing Thoughts
The removal of deep dives from ungraded inspections marks a significant step towards a more flexible and collaborative inspection process. By focusing on extended learning walks and professional dialogue, Ofsted aims to reduce the burden on school leaders while enhancing the inspection experience.
This move aligns with feedback from smaller schools and underscores Ofsted’s commitment to creating a supportive and effective inspection framework.
Sources: THX News, Ofsted & Sir Martyn Oliver.
