Ofsted’s single-word ratings for state schools will be replaced by detailed “report cards” from September next year, despite warnings that this could harm pupils by dumbing down standards. The Mail has more.
From today, all new school inspections will no longer brand them “outstanding”, “good”, “requires improvement” or “inadequate”.
Instead, schools will get ratings for individual sub-categories – and from next year the grading system could be scrapped altogether.
The move has delighted teaching unions, which have campaigned for it but were snubbed by the previous Tory Government. Yesterday, Shadow Education Secretary Damian Hinds said scrapping the “vital” headline inspection outcome “is not in the best interest of pupils or parents”. …
For Ofsted inspections in this academic year, parents will see four grades across the existing sub-categories – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management.
It is understood the change will not be applied retrospectively to inspections already undertaken. The Government plans to change the system again for September 2025, replacing the format with a “report card”.
It said this will “provide parents with a full and comprehensive assessment of how schools are performing and ensure inspections are more effective in driving improvement”.
Details of the proposals, which will be subject to consultation, were not announced. But there are fears it could do away with ratings altogether, making it harder to understand. …
Unions have long campaigned for Ofsted reform but it gathered momentum after the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life while waiting for an Ofsted report which had downgraded her school.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: The scrapping of one-word Ofsted ratings puts feelings above facts, Katharine Birbalsingh, Britain’s ‘strictest headteacher’ and the Head of Michaela Community School, has said. While Ofsted often makes schools “the victims of whimsical, or inexperienced, or tired, or poor inspectors”, removing one-word judgements is a “nod in the wrong direction”.
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Ah, the report card:
Maths: Tries hard
English: Could do better
History: Imaginative
PSHE: Original thinker
Overall:
Requires ImprovementWhy do parents need Ofsted reports – can’t they see what their children are like.
In the 1950s and 1960s – my school days – patents knew which schools had a good reputation which didn’t.
That doesn’t work anymore. Besides the inspection shpould not just be for parents but also to check on teachers and school management, things may be going on or left undone which a parent outside the gates could not detect until too late.
I am always amazed when teachers get a fit of sweats because an Ofsted inspection has been announced, is under way or has just reported. In the private business sector annual audits are usual and HMRC visits not uncommon. Other regulators also call round.
Even qualified electricians can expect visits to look at their work on site.
Why should teachers be exempt from checks?
The shock is that head teachers are so often shocked at whet the Ofsted report reveals. They are meant to know!
I worked for a testing consultancy that had various accreditations that all carried out annual audits of our procedures and record keeping.
I witnessed the decline of education from the 1990s that seemed at least in part to be caused by the existence of Ofsted, a centralised organisation too remote from teachers and parents, and a typical example of the development of remote over-control from above that was instituted by politicians and bureaucrats. Ofsted should be scrapped and the old system of having school inspectors with more local ties should be re-instituted.
Education began declining in the 70s when the tosser Woy Jenkins brought in ‘comprehensive’ education and shunned education based on ability as well as giving us dumb-downed qualifications in CSEs. CSEs had a damaging effect on further education as courses were dumb-downed to accept those will CSEs as I saw in engineering.
“parents will see four grades across the existing sub-categories – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management. “
I’ve no idea what they mean by “personal development” nor how you could meaningfully measure it, nor whether it might be a good objective for a school. Regarding the other three, it’s hard to see how they would not be broadly aligned in almost every case.
Good idea. I know of schools rated ‘excellent’ – 7 years ago and still trade on it…..eg my son’s school, rated excellent top 10% in the UK etc etc…except…. in say A levels comp science none of its students in the past 3 years has received an A and 50% failed, and many other courses suffer from the same under performance basically due to inept teaching…..so yeah common sense to have some details against the schools to help tax payers.
I taught a a school which was supposed to be outstanding. Which it was in all categories EXCEPT teaching and learning. How we teacher laughed cynically. Always thought ofstead inspectors were failed teachers who couldn’t cope.
Ofsted, Ofcom, …, off with them all. I have never heard of any other country being so riddled with completely useless, supposedly independent, government controlled institutions.