Ofsted raises the bar for school inspections
5 Sep 2012
From September 2012 ‘good’ is the minimum standard Ofsted expects from schools.
More than five thousand teachers, headteachers, parents, carers and governors responded to Ofsted’s ‘A good education for all’ consultation earlier this year.
Respondees agreed that children deserve the best level of education possible and as a result Ofsted has introduced a new inspection framework that aims to push the education system to do better.
Key changes include increasing the number of senior inspectors in the field to promote improvement through inspection and to increase the amount of time spent supporting schools when they need it.
Schools will be notified of an inspection the afternoon before it is due to start allowing inspectors to see schools as they really are whilst giving headteachers and governors the opportunity to be present at the inspection.
A new grade ‘requires improvement’ will replace the ‘satisfactory’ grade and those schools under this grade will receive strong support from Ofsted to reach the ‘good’ level.
According to Ofsted’s most recent inspection statistics from March 2012 the majority of children across England attend schools judged to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.
Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said: “I believe all children, regardless of where they live or what their parents can afford for them, have the right to a good education and that belief is at the heart of our work at Ofsted.”
“I make no apology for introducing an inspection framework that raises expectations and focuses on the importance of teaching. The new short-notice inspections allow inspectors to see schools as they really are.”
You can download a full copy of Ofsted’s framework for school inspections from September 2012, as well as a copy of the responses to Ofsted’s ‘A good education for all’ consultation..