Ofsted Changes

Ofsted has now set out how its proposed new inspection model and school report cards will work.

A consultation on the proposals will run until April 28, with findings reported in the summer. Inspections after the summer break will then be delayed until November to allow enough time to implement the changes.

Report cards to judge schools on up to 11 areas and toolkits for each:

• Leadership and governance
• Curriculum
• Developing teaching
• Achievement
• Behaviour and attitudes
• Attendance
• Personal development and well-being
• Inclusion
• Safeguarding
• Early years in schools (where applicable)
• Sixth form in schools (where applicable)

Each of the new areas will be rated using a five-point, traffic light system:

• Red: Causing concern, needs urgent action to provide a suitable standard of education for children and learners
• Amber: Attention needed, some aspects of provision are inconsistent, limited in scope or impact and/or not fully meeting legal requirements or non-statutory guidance expectations. However, inspectors think leaders have the capacity to make necessary improvements
• Light green: Secure, offering a secure standard of education by meeting the above standards
• Green: Strong, practice is consistently secure across different year groups and subjects. Leaders working above and beyond what’s expected
• Dark Green: Exemplary, all evaluation areas are graded at least secure and in an area that is consistently strong, there is a feature of practice that could be considered as exemplary. Inspectors can only recommend a school gets an exemplary rating. This will then be moderated and confirmed by a national quality and consistency panel.

All inspections will be ‘full’ inspections, no more ungraded inspections. One red and schools will be put in a category and monitoring will continue until all areas are secure.

Schools Context, Ofsted plan to summarise information on schools and the local area alongside the report card. This includes, characteristics of children including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, outcomes for all children and for particular groups, including those who are disadvantaged. Absence and attendance data will also be included.

Every school will also be asked to nominate a senior staff member to work closely with the inspection team.  Inclusion, along with leadership, will feature as a key question across all evaluation areas, for all remits. Inspectors will no longer do deep dives.