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Ofsted/Self Evaluation News

More Ofsted news can be found at:

• www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/News

Ofsted News Highlights

2012

• Ofsted January 2012: Ofsted announces plans for no notice inspections for schools New
• Ofsted 17 January 2012: Ofsted announces scrapping of ‘satisfactory’ judgement in move designed to help improve education for millions of children New - Press Release

2011

• Schools and Inspection: December 2011- New This newsletter provides inspectors and stakeholders with the latest information and guidance about Ofsted inspection work in schools.
• Ofsted Annual Report 2010/11 (Nov 2011)- The report finds that there has been a year on year reduction in the number of schools judged to be in special measures, while over a fifth of schools judged inadequate at their previous inspection are now good or better. But the report's author, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Miriam Rosen, raises concerns about the lack of ambition being displayed by high numbers of schools, colleges and childcare providers, as well as serious concerns about the number of local authorities that are providing inadequate safeguarding services for children.
• Risk Assessment of Maintained Schools and Academies (18th November 2011)- This document sets out the process by which Ofsted conducts risk assessments of maintained schools and academies where overall effectiveness was judged to be good or outstanding at the last full section 5 inspection. Only outstanding and good primary and secondary schools, including infant, middle and all through schools, are risk assessed under the current arrangements. The current arrangements do not apply to outstanding stand-alone nursery schools, special schools or pupil referral units.
• Ofsted 16 November 2011: Anti bullying week and other issues -
  This update also contains important information on Ofsted inspections under the proposed framework from January 2012, including no notice trial spot checks on satisfactory schools whose last inspection identified behaviour as requiring improvement.
• Getting them Reading Early - (21st Oct 2011) -This Ofsted publication focuses on early reading, including systematic phonics, and inspection methodology. It is one of two publications forming a programme of distance learning training materials for inspectors and has been written to support the implementation of the new framework for school inspection (January 2012). The publication will be of interest to teachers, and providers of initial and in-service teacher education, as well as inspectors.
• Reading, Writing and Literacy (21st Oct 2011) -This Ofsted publication considers expectations, standards and inspection methodology related to literacy from Year 3 to Year 11. It is one of two publications forming a programme of distance learning training materials for inspectors and has been written to support the implementation of the new framework for school inspection (January 2012). The publication will be of interest to teachers, and providers of initial and in-service teacher education, as well as inspectors.
• A New Voice for Parents (20th Oct 2011)Ofsted today launches Parent View, a new online questionnaire that will allow parents and carers to give their views on their child’s school at any time of the year. Covering over 22,000 schools across England, the 12-question survey will help other parents as they make important choices about their child’s education and provide Ofsted with information about schools that will help inform priorities for inspection.
  
• Schools and inspection: September 2011- This newsletter provides inspectors and stakeholders with the latest information and guidance about Ofsted inspection work in schools.
• The Shape of School Inspection from January 2012 (30th Sept 2011)- Ofsted has published details of how the inspection of maintained schools will change from January 2012.
• Ofsted Inspections to Scrutinise Teaching Quality- BBC (30th Sep 2011)- School inspections in England will give more scrutiny to the quality of teaching, in a back to basics shake-up by the Ofsted education watchdog.
• Ofsted: Safeguarding in Schools: Best Practice (Sep 2011)
  The report ‘Safeguarding in schools: best practice’ distils the features of exceptionally good practice in safeguarding in schools where safeguarding was judged to be outstanding between September 2009 and July 2010.
• Ofsted 12 July: Using symbols to ask for children's views for inspection and consultationThis guidance aims to ensure that the views of children and young people who use alternative communication are included in inspection reports and in our consultations, and to increase their participation in inspection. When providers inform Ofsted of the symbols they use in their settings, Ofsted will use these symbols to gather children’s and young people’s views. This supports Ofsted’s core values of putting children and learners first, and valuing people’s differences.
  
• Latest School Inspection Outcome Figures Released (June 2011)Ofsted today published the results of school inspections carried out during the autumn term and spring terms 2010/11. The inspections were carried out under arrangements introduced in September 2009 that focus more on weaker schools, with less frequent inspection of the outstanding schools. Inspectors have placed more emphasis on observation of teaching and learning in the classroom and its impact on pupils’ progress to judge a school’s overall effectiveness.
• Alternative Provision (June 2011) - Alternative provision outside school, which is used to prevent exclusion and re-engage students in their education, should be better monitored by schools and pupil referral units so it can be used more effectively, according to an Ofsted report published today. This survey evaluates the use of off-site alternative provision by a small sample of schools and pupil referral units. Schools and pupil referral units can use a range of alternative provision to try to prevent students from being excluded, or to re-engage students in their education. The survey considers what makes alternative provision successful and examines some of the current issues associated with its use.
• Good Governance Essential to School Improvement (May 2011)-School governing bodies that clearly understand their roles and responsibilities, build productive relationships with school leaders, know their schools well and use the views of parents, pupils and the wider community are best equipped to drive improvement in their schools.
  Inspectors visited 14 schools where governance was judged outstanding and the report ‘School governance: Learning from the best’ identifies the key characteristics of those governing bodies
  
• Good English Teaching must be Supported by an Innovative Curriculum (May 2011)- One of the most pressing issues in English facing a large number of schools today is how to improve from being good to outstanding. The aim of this report is to improve practice in English across all schools and particularly to help them become outstanding. The report provides 12 case studies of schools which are successful in helping their pupils to make outstanding progress in English.
• Ofsted: Schools and Parents (April 2011) - Between September 2009 and March 2010, Her Majesty’s Inspectors visited 47 schools to evaluate how effectively the partnership between parents and schools had developed. The schools varied in size, geographical location and socio-economic circumstances. Inspectors also drew on other sources, which included organisations working with parents and parents’ groups, and evidence that Ofsted already held, such as data from its parents’ panel and school inspections
• Schools and Inspections Newsletter (March 2011):This edition includes important articles about the self-evaluation form (SEF) and the consultation on the revised inspection framework for maintained schools and academies. It includes information on the discontinuation of the self-evaluation form (SEF) and the school information and self-evaluation form (SIEF), which will take effect from September 2011.There is also an update on the inspection of special educational needs and/or disabilities, the inspection of academies and articles clarifying the use of Criminal Records Bureau checks. Please note the following information contained in the newsletter:

• Early Years Newsletter April 2011This edition contains information concerning updates to guidance documents but also a number of articles and items including qualifications for the Introduction to childcare practice (ICP) course; food and nutrition in early years settings; and changes to the Vetting and Barring Scheme arising from the new Protection of Freedoms Bill
• Successful Science (Jan 2011)The report evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of science in primary and secondary schools and colleges inspected between June 2007 and March 2010. There has been an improving trend in the provision of science education over the period of the report, especially in secondary schools, but there are areas that need further improvement, especially in primary schools.
• Ofsted: Inspection 2012: Proposals for inspection arrangements for maintained schools & academies from Jan 2012 (23 March 2011)
  The Importance of Teaching: Schools White Paper and the Education Bill, which is taking forward many of its proposals, refocus school inspections on what matters most: the quality of teaching and learning, backed by excellent leadership and management, and good discipline and behaviour.
  
  Our new school inspection framework is designed to deliver that new focus. What it means in practice is that schools will be judged on a smaller number of core aspects than before, but we will be examining them in greater depth. The changes will result in more streamlined inspections, with fewer judgements and grades, leading to sharper reports on the quality of education provided by schools and the most important aspects of their performance.
  
  The consultation paper Inspection 2012: proposals for inspection arrangements for maintained schools and academies from January 2012 invites your views on our proposed changes and these will help us shape the new inspection arrangements which, subject to the successful passage of the Education Bill, will commence in January 2012.

• Ofsted Consultation Calendar (March 2011). Ofsted has drawn together a calendar of all planned consultation activity taking place across Ofsted until 2011. it includes the consultation on inspection of maintained schools and dates.
• Ofsted: Sharing Good Practice (March 2011). Ofsted is launching a website area showcasing good practice across the sectors that Ofsted inspects and regulates. It launches on 7 March. The case studies focus on good practice that other providers can use to improve their work. The site will have examples from schools, adult learning and skills, and children and families services across the country. Examples from early years and childcare will be included from September. These case studies are written by Ofsted inspectors following a visit to the provider to investigate a lead about good practice, which has usually been identified during an inspection. go to: www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk
• Ofsted: The impact of the Early Years Foundation Stage (February 2011)This survey evaluated the impact that the introduction of the Early Years Foundation Stage has had on provision and developmental outcomes for young children, with a particular focus on their personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy skills. It also considered a range of other factors that are drivers or barriers to improvement.

2010

• Schools and Inspection Newsletter - December 2010 - Download the latest Ofsted newsletter for inspection work in schools. This issue includes important articles on lesson plans, judging achievement in junior schools and how inspectors evaluate the quality of teaching. There is an update on our plans to develop a revised inspection framework for maintained schools and a brief summary of our important report on twelve outstanding infant and primary schools which are highly successful in teaching children to read by the age of six.
• The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2009/10 (November 2010) the 2009/10 Annual Report principally presents evidence from inspection and regulatory visits undertaken by Ofsted between September 2009 and August 2010. Evidence is taken from inspection activity across the full range of Ofsted’s remit, including childcare, children’s social care, local authority services for children and provision for education and skills in schools, colleges and adult learning. Visit the Ofsted annual report microsite
  
  A Bristol Document Summary of the Ofsted Report is available here.

• A Statement is not Enough - Ofsted Review of Special Educational Needs and Disability (September 2010)- A major review of special educational needs and disability arrangements published by Ofsted, reveals a range of concerns about the current system and how well it is serving children and young people

• Ofsted - Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education in Schools (July 2010)- This report is based on evidence from inspections of personal, social, health and economic education in schools between September 2006 and July 2009 in 165 maintained schools in England. It reports on standards in the subject, and highlights the key areas in need of improvement.
• Ofsted - The Safe Use of New Technologies Report - Pupils in schools that use ‘managed’ online systems have a better knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe when using new technologies, according to a report published by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. This report is based on evidence from a small-scale survey carried out between April and July 2009 in 35 maintained schools in England.
  
  It evaluates the extent to which the schools taught pupils to adopt safe and responsible practices in using new technologies, and how they achieved this. It also assesses the extent and quality of the training the schools provided for their staff. It responds to the report of the Byron Review, Safer children in a digital world.
• Schools and Inspection Newsletter - June 2010 - Download the latest Ofsted newsletter for inspection work in schools. Included in this edition are an article on the new statutory guidance on information, advice and guidance; and links to two new reports by Sir Roger Singleton - The Chief Adviser on the Safety of Children: First annual report to Parliament – 2010 and Physical punishment: improving consistency and protection There have been some further changes to the guidance on inspecting safeguarding since the last edition relating to changes in the requirements.
• Twelve Outstanding Secondary Schools - Excelling Against the Odds- Why do some schools succeed brilliantly against all the odds while others in more favourable circumstances struggle? This report provides some evidence-based answers to this question. It draws from the practice, experience and ambition of 12 consistently outstanding schools. Download the full document and accompanying reports.
• Twenty Outstanding Primary Schools - how schools excel against the odds and what others can do to achieve success

• Great Expectations at William Ford Junior School - one of the twenty outstanding primary schools
• Twelve Outstanding Special Schools - Excelling through Inclusion - Shows how these schools deal with complex special educational needs, behavioural difficulties, disabilities and pupils excluded from mainstream schools.