Ofsted: schools to face increased scrutiny over support of disadvantaged pupils amidst Ruth Perry reforms

Ofsted, the education watchdog for England, has announced a number of changes following its “Big Listen” consultation earlier this year – including plans to introduce a focus on inclusion in a “report card” system.

It comes after the Government announced on Monday that single-phrase inspection headline grades for schools in England are being scrapped.

The watchdog has come under greater scrutiny after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Schools will now no longer be issued with one of four judgments for overall effectiveness – outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate – when inspected.

Sir Keir Starmed said the changes are about “driving up standards”, adding that he was “really pleased that we’re able to do it so quickly”.

From September 2025, parents will be able to view a report card in all areas which Ofsted inspects so they have a more detailed assessment of a school.

But this academic year, parents will still be able to see the four grades across the existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Mrs Perry took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from its highest rating, “outstanding”, to its lowest rating, “inadequate”, over safeguarding concerns.

A coroner concluded the Ofsted inspection in November 2022 “contributed” to Mrs Perry’s death.

Under changes, Ofsted said the publication of inspection reports will be paused when safeguarding concerns are identified in an otherwise high-performing school until inspectors revisit the school within three months.

The watchdog said the change – which will come into effect this month – will give schools more time to remedy issues without Government intervention and parents will still be informed about issues in the meantime.

Sir Martyn said: “This is the beginning of a new chapter for Ofsted as we reset our priorities, refine our practices and rebuild our relationships.”

He added: “The tragic death of Ruth Perry was a catalyst for this change, but the case for change has been building for years.

“We recognise the growing challenges facing education and social care, particularly since the pandemic.

“We don’t want to add to this pressure. Many of the changes we are introducing are aimed at reducing the pressure on those we inspect.”

The Ofsted chief said a new report card for parents – which will be consulted on in early 2025 – will allow for a “nuanced description” of when a school is performing well or not in a certain area.

Sir Martyn said there is a “growing and widening disadvantage gap” since the pandemic, and he added that parents were “critical” that Ofsted reports do not currently say whether a school is good for children with Send.

When asked by the media what could be included in the new report card, Sir Martyn said “I think behaviour and attendance separately stand out.”

He added: “We know that attendance is a national issue and so I think attendance should be pulled out and focused on separately.”

Parents who take their children out of class without permission will face higher fines this academic year as part of a Government drive to boost school attendance following the pandemic.

The Yorkshire Post recently revealed that the region has the joint-highest rate of unauthorised absences in the country.

In February, the Department for Education announced that absence fines would start at £80 if paid within 21 days, rising to £160 from this September.

The watchdog will also announce all routine inspections of schools on a Monday, with inspections taking place over the following two days, to help reduce the stress of waiting.

Ofsted said formal consultations on the report card, new framework, and inclusion and safeguarding grading will open in early 2025.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and former Rotherham headteacher, said the changes were “welcome”.

“In particular, the greater focus on inclusion and SEND, better training and support for Ofsted inspectors to improve consistency of inspection, and a shift away from graded judgements reflect the views of school leaders,” he explained.

Mr Di’Iasio described the move to notify schools about inspections on Monday as “very bold”, but warned that education leaders “will understandably be concerned about the timescales and pace of reform, and whether the changes go far enough”.

He questioned differing time scales for the new report cards and Ofsted’s consultation, as well as curriculum changes coming in next year.

“There is a danger that these reforms will not be joined up, and that a rush to do something different will undermine their effectiveness,” he said.

“Ofsted certainly needs reform, and their response sets out a blueprint for what changes we can expect, but we absolutely must avoid replacing one flawed system with another one.”