Simplistic Ofsted inspections and reporting face criticism from education experts
27 December 2023
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is facing criticism over its school inspections and reporting, following a statement from former Ofsted leader and head teacher Sir Michael Wilshaw in which he said that inspection judgements “are not giving parents an accurate picture of what’s happening in schools. It’s providing parents with false comfort.”
Specifically, the non-descriptive use of single-phrase summary judgements such as good, outstanding or inadequate have been deemed unprofessional by some experts.
Former Education Secretary Lord Blunkett said, “It is crucial that those undertaking inspections have history and hands-on experience within the age range, type of school and specific challenges, and that a critique of performance should be turned into positive proposals which would help with the process of change.
“When Ofsted was set up, using one-word summaries, it was in an era where there was no internet. There was no ability for parents to get reliable information on the schools their children may want to go to.
“We are now even in an age when there is a huge amount of information available, so we need to be asking parents what they actually want, and I don’t believe that the Department for Education has done that in a systematic way recently.
He added, “If you talk to teachers and listen to well-regarded experts such as Sir Michael Wilshaw, there’s a genuine concern about the way that inspections are carried out – their ability to give reliable information and their ability to drive school improvement. That all adds up to the need for a reassessment of Ofsted’s role and its objectives, and as: what is it really achieving?”
Another former Education Secretary, Lord Baker, recommended that Ofsted and schools should provide detailed “destination data” about where pupils go after completing compulsory education, recording which pupils take up apprenticeships, enrol in higher or further education or employment.
He said, “Destination data is a key judgment for a school because, at the end of the day, it’s important to know what happens to them after leaving state education.”
An Ofsted spokesperson commented, “Inspections are carefully designed to get under the bonnet of a school to really understand how well it works, providing a unique insight to parents. We look at all the things that are important to parents, including the quality of the education, behaviour and how safely and well the school is run.
“Our reports provide a rounded picture of a school with its strengths and areas for improvement and ensure that schools across the country aim for the highest standards for children.”
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