Below is a letter which I got from the Chief Inspector of Schools, in response to letters from teachers in my constituency
10 March 2010
School inspection arrangements
I am writing to you in response to an Early Day Motion currently before Parliament expressing concerns about Ofsted's school inspection arrangements. The Early Day Motion follows a campaign being run by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and I want to assure you that the NUT's concerns are largely unfounded so you are in a position to respond to any issues raised by your constituents.
Ofsted introduced new school inspection arrangements in September 2009 following extensive consultation with parents, schools and other stakeholders, including the teaching associations. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, as has been the response from the schools we have inspected over the last few months. But unfortunately a number of myths about the new school inspection framework have gained currency amongst people that have yet to be inspected.
One of the NUT's concerns is that schools are being 'marked down' for relatively trivial issues, such as the height of a perimeter fence, administrative errors on the single central register of staff in schools, or a failure to ask for an inspector's CRB check on arrival at school. These myths have been circulating in the press for some time now and we investigated them when they first arose. In each case either it was not possible to confirm the incident ever happened or the issues were in addition to much more serious concerns found during the inspection, often relating to the quality of teaching, learning and management. In February I wrote in the Times Educational Supplement and to Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT to debunk these myths. It is a real pity that the NUT persists in repeating them, needlessly worrying its members.
The facts are these. No school has been found inadequate as a result of minor breaches of health and safety rules. Indeed, in the first term of the new school inspection framework, 70% of schools were judged outstanding or good for safeguarding. Just 17 of the 2,140 schools inspected were judged inadequate for issues relating to safeguarding, care of pupils and leadership. And I can assure you that in each of these 17 cases, our concerns were serious and wide-ranging.
Another concern raised by the NUT is that Ofsted inspectors are paying too much attention to examination and test results during inspections. It must be right that we take into account the actual results children and young people are achieving, but in the new inspection arrangements it is achievement that continues to be the main focus. This is linked to attainment but is much more related to the pupils' learning and progress in the school itself. It is the inspectors' judgements about what they see and hear on inspection that remain fundamental. The statistics from 2,140 schools inspected in the autumn show there's a much closer link (96%) between achievement and the overall effectiveness of the school than with attainment (56%).
The NUT is also suggesting that schools are being penalised for low attendance because of the bad weather in January. This is just not the case. During the recent spell of snow some schools managed to stay open, often in difficult circumstances. In many cases pupils did not make it into the schools as a result of local travel difficulties and this will have an impact on the schools' attendance figures. I can assure you that we have reminded inspectors to take this into account when making their judgements about attendance. Indeed, the school's decision to stay open in difficult circumstances may well reflect favourably on the inspector's judgement about the school's leadership and management.
I have written to Christine Blower expressing my concerns about the NUT's campaign. I have pointed out to her that the satisfaction levels from schools that have actually been inspected under the new school inspection arrangements are very high: 90% of headteachers described the inspection judgements about their school as fair and accurate; 96% said they would use the inspection recommendations to move the school forward. I am confident that these myths will lose currency as more schools experience the new school inspection arrangements for themselves.
I hope that this letter is helpful to you in putting into context the concerns raised by the NUT and to reassure your constituents, should they contact you about these issues. We do not expect to win any popularity contests at Ofsted. However, what we seek through school inspection is what's best for children and young people.
Ofsted publishes thousands of inspection reports each year on individual schools, colleges, social care and childcare providers. I know you will be particularly interested in inspection outcomes for schools and other providers in your constituency. If you would like to keep up-to-date with our inspection findings over the course of the year, you may be interested in subscribing to Ofsted's email alert system at our website www.ofsted.gov.uk.This will let you know when we publish a report on an early years, education, social care or skills provider in your local area and will alert you when we publish a report on a theme or subject in which you have expressed a particular interest. If you, or a colleague, require assistance setting this up, please contact Nicola Monks, in Ofsted's Communications Team on 020 7421 6754 or at Nicola.Monks@ofsted.gov.uk.
You may also be interested in the official statistics Ofsted published today on the first term of the new school inspection arrangements. These cover the period September to December 2009 and are also available from our website.
Finally, if you have any queries at all about Ofsted or school inspection in particular, at a general or specific level, please do not hesitate to contact me personally. My number and email are at the top of this letter.
Yours sincerely
Christine Gilbert
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
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Promoted by Tracey Kirk on behalf of Sir George Young both at 2 Church Close, Andover, Hants SP10 1DP 