In a recent report, a National Education Union-backed inquiry named Beyond Ofsted recommended that inspectors should not be present in classrooms. The report, led by Lord Jim Knight, a former schools minister, called for a complete reform of the current school inspections system with a more “transformational change”. Knight’s remarks suggested that Ofsted was “toxic” and “not fit for purpose” in proposing an overhaul of the inspection process, including stopping direct contact between Ofsted and the schools. Instead, schools should be responsible for their improvement plans, with outside mentors helping them to self-evaluate.
While the inquiry acknowledged that safeguarding in schools needs to be reviewed through annual checks by a new national entity, it proposed little else. Knight stated the current inspections system provided “snapshot judgments…by fewer than a handful of inspectors.” The report also recommended a pause in routine inspections performed by Ofsted while, it examined further research and analysis to renew and restore deep confidence and ‘trust’ between the sector and the regulators.
In response to the report, Ofsted suggested inspections were necessary to maintain high education standards, adding that “children only get one chance at education.” Ofsted also claimed that “nine out of ten” schools said inspections helped them improve. The Department for Education highlighted the importance of independent validation, pointing towards a rise in the percentage of “Good” or “Outstanding” rated schools, from 68% to 88%.
Lord Knight hoped the Beyond Ofsted inquiry would restore trust and happiness to the inspection process, which placed a significant strain on school leaders and provided a less focused framework for educational improvement. Much of the inquiry centered around the proper evaluation of schools, which rested with the education boards, and including the schools’ regulatory bodies. Finally, he suggested twenty-first-century technology be integrated as an alternative to provide schools with a fuller understanding of their performance
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