Think tank calls for shake-up of school Ofsted inspections

The report, by think tank the Policy Exchange, also called for tailored inspections for schools that are not up to scratch, and for Ofsted to drastically reduce its reliance on inspectors who work for private firms.

The publication of the inquiry comes weeks after a row broke out after it was reported that the think tank, which was set up by Education Secretary Michael Gove, and Civitas were examining the role of Ofsted.

The report adds that Ofsted needs to address schools’ lack of faith and confidence in the system and that routine lesson observations – a key part of school inspections – are inadequate.

Concerns are raised in the report about how accurate lesson observations are at judging teacher quality, and a new two-stage inspection system is suggested.

Under the shake-up, all state schools would face a short inspection, lasting one day every two years, giving schools an overall rating, plus a second on their ability to continue to perform at a certain standard.

Schools that fall below outstanding or good would face a second, tailored inspection, with twice as many inspectors assessing it as would do under the current system.

The think tank also calls for all inspectors to have relevant and recent experience in the type of school they are assessing, and to pass exams on interpreting data.

Report author Jonathan Simons said: “More needs to be done to drive up the quality of inspectors. Heads and teachers must feel confident that the person running their eye over their school is a specialist, preferably with recent teaching experience.”

The think tank also urges Ofsted to give serious consideration to either scrapping or drastically cutting down on the number of inspectors who are contracted to private companies.

Under the current system, around three contractors employ around 3,000 inspectors, half of whom conduct school inspections.

Ofsted directly employs 300 to 400, with around 150 working in schools.

Michael Cladingbowl is Ofsted’s national director for schools.

He said: “Ofsted has played a major part in raising standards in England’s schools over the past 21 years. We are now looking at how inspection should develop in the coming years to reflect the fact that eight out of 10 schools are now good or outstanding.”

He added: “In my view, parents will always expect inspectors to spend time in classrooms when they visit a school because teaching is the heart of what schools do.

“While we do not judge individual teachers, visiting lessons is a key way of gathering evidence about the quality of teaching in the school overall.

“Inspectors also take account of the school’s own views of teaching, undertake joint evidence gathering with senior leaders, look at children’s work and teachers’ marking, discuss test and examination results, and talk to parents, pupils and staff.”

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leavers, said: “Getting the inspection service right is crucial, not only for the quality of our schools, but for the recruitment, retention and well-being of good heads and teachers.

“Inspection has an important role in holding schools to account, and when done well it can be very effective.”

He added: “Lesson observation will always have a place within inspection. I cannot see how an inspector could make an overall judgement about a school without seeing what happens in the classroom.”