2012 Inspection Framework – Key Changes

1. The new inspection arrangements for maintained schools and academies from January 2012Max Hyde: NUT Executive Member

2. 2012 Inspection Framework – Key Changes • Four Key Judgements: • Achievement • The quality of teaching • Behaviour and safety • Leadership and management • In judging the school’s overall effectiveness, inspectors will take account of the four key judgements and how well the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

3. 2012 Inspection Framework – Key Changes • No ‘sub-judgements’ or ‘contributory’ judgements • No separate graded judgements for the Early Years Foundation Stage or the 6th form – they will be reported as part of the key judgements and form part of the inspection report • Value Added (VA) not Contextual Value Added (CVA) will be used as a measure of progress: RAISEonline will be adapted to include a range of VA measures

4. 2012 Inspection Framework – Key Changes It is intended that inspectors will: • Have a stronger emphasis on observing teaching and learning, with feedback for teachers – with a particular focus on phonics, early reading and on literacy • Work with head teachers, school staff and governors in the process of inspection so that they understand the judgements made • Take into account the views of parents and carers, pupils and staff • Set out clear grade descriptors and guidance for each judgement

5. Key Judgements - Achievement An evaluation of current pupils’ learning and progress together with attainment and progress in recent years. A focus on pupils’ prior attainment and Value Added information Focus on different groups of pupils, including those with disabilities and those with special educational needs.

6. Key Judgements - Achievement Particular focus on pupils’ reading and literacy, as shown by test results, school records and inspectors’ evaluation of children’s reading – e.g. will consider early reading proficiency and intervention in later key stages such as for those entering KS3 who are below L4. No separate or contributory judgement on the achievement of pupils with disabilities or those with special educational needs – will form part of the overall report. Particular focus on how schools are narrowing the gaps in attainment and progress between different groups of pupils and all pupils nationally. No separate judgement on attainment.

7. Key Judgements – Quality of Teaching • Focus on how teaching raises pupils’ achievement and promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Judgements will take into account: • teachers’ (medium and long term) planning; • implementation of learning activities across the whole curriculum; • marking, assessment and feedback • activities within and outside the classroom, including support and intervention.

8. Key Judgements- Quality of Teaching • Greater focus on lesson observation • Lesson observations undertaken jointly with senior staff to enable inspectors to consider the school’s understanding of the quality if teaching • Evaluated in terms of the impact of teaching on learning and progress • Feedback to teachers on strengths and areas for improvement

9. Key Judgements – Quality of Teaching • Inspectors will gather evidence in addition to lesson observations to provide information about the impact of teaching on learning over time • Discussions with pupils about their work • Analysis of school records • Scrutiny and analysis of pupil’s work • There will be a greater focus on: • Teaching of reading and developing literacy skills including observation of small group sessions • Formative assessment during lessons to support learning

10. Key Judgements – Behaviour and Safety Judgements are intended to take account of a wider range of evidence including: • Behaviour in the classroom and attitudes to learning • Behaviour around the school • Attendance and punctuality • Freedom from bullying

11. Key Judgements – Behaviour and Safety Inspectors will be expected to consider evidence that gives an overall picture of behaviour, not just the behaviour they observe during the inspection The views and perceptions of parents and carers, pupils and staff will be taken into account

12. Key Judgements – Leadership and Management A focus on the effectiveness of managers at all levels in: • Improving teaching • Promoting improvements for all pupils and groups of pupils • Enabling pupils to overcome specific barriers to learning

13. Key Judgements – Leadership and Management It is intended that inspectors will focus on: • The impact of leadership on improving teaching and pupil outcomes • Self evaluation • SEF will no longer be required • Schools will present in their chosen format • Capacity for improvement • Compliance with statutory requirements on safeguarding.

14. Key Judgements – Leadership and Management No separate judgement on capacity to improve; this is incorporated in a single judgement on leadership and management An evaluation of the provision of a broad, balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils and contributes to their achievement A greater emphasis on engaging with parents and carers in supporting outcomes for pupils

15. The inspection cycle A ‘tiered’ approach to the timing of future inspections for maintained schools and academies Judgements from the schools most recent inspection will determine their future cycle of inspection Schools which have converted to academy status since their previous inspection will ‘carry forward’ their previous inspection outcome No proposed changes to the inspection cycle for special schools, nurseries or PRUs

16. The inspection cycle Schools judged outstandingat their previous inspection: • Will continue to be included in subject and thematic survey inspections • Will be exempt from future inspections unless: • a risk assessment suggests declining performance or widening attainment gaps • The school did not get an outstanding judgement for Quality of Teaching – they will now be inspected as if they were not outstanding.

17. The inspection cycle Schools judged as goodat their previous inspection: • Will be inspected within 5 years of their previous inspection • Can have their inspection deferred after 3 years if risk assessments indicate no cause for concern

18. The inspection cycle Schools judged satisfactoryat their last inspection are now being called unsatisfactory: Will be inspected within three years of their last inspection There is a focus on the concept of ‘stuck satisfactory’ schools – those judged to be making little or no improvement since their last inspection or they have been judged ‘satisfactory’ in two consecutive inspections or have no main grades judged higher than satisfactory, or if behaviour & safety is judged no higher than satisfactory will be placed on a notice to improve & have the next full inspection brought forward if monitoring visits judge there is little or no evidence of improvement ‘No notice’ monitoring visits are being trialled

19. The inspection cycle Schools judged inadequateat their last inspection will continue to have monitoring visits and are likely to have their first monitoring visits brought forward First monitoring visit likely to be within 4-6 weeks The focus is intended to be establish the needs of the school and work with it to assess what needs to be done to bring about rapid improvement The stated intention is to enable schools to be removed from a category of concern (notice to improve or special measures) sooner than under current arrangements

20. Risk assessments • Ofsted carries out annual risk assessments to determine when schools should be inspected, taking into account: • Current attainment, progress and attendance and any patterns of change • Previous inspection judgements and outcomes of any recent survey visits • Significant issues relating to safeguarding or parental complaints • Risk assessment for good and outstanding schools will start in the third year after their most recent inspection

21. Requests to inspect schools Schools may submit requests for an inspection to take place • Requests will be considered by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) who will have discretion on whether to grant the request • The Education Bill proposes that HMCI should be able ‘in some circumstances’, to ‘recover the costs’ of an inspection requested by a school • A protocol for dealing with requests from schools will be published after the Bill has gained Royal Assent

22. Views of parents and carers Parents’ and carers’ views will be sought during inspections and between inspections. Between inspections, a new website, Parent View will be available to gather views: parents and carers will be able to answer a series of questions about theschool. At the end of the academic year the results will be ‘frozen’ for that year and a new cycle will begin, allowing ‘year on year’ comparisons of parent and carer attitudes to the school. Open to the general public to view.

23. In summary: • It doesn’t get any easier does it… • The changes to a system that was only recently revised (2009) and the frequent statements by the head of Ofsted must call into serious question the claim that they are independent of Government… • Remember there is a complaints procedure to challenge unfair judgements – there have been successful challenges.