Inspection framework – consultation response released!

Education inspection framework 2019: A report on the responses to the consultation

The long awaited response to the government’s consultation regarding their proposals to changing the inspection framework next month, has finally been published. According to Ofsted, it’s been the largest response to a consultation in Ofsted’s history!

How does the consultation work?

The consultation included 11 questions asking respondents the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a proposal. In addition to this, a free-text box after each question, and another for each draft inspection handbook, gave respondents the opportunity to make detailed comments on the proposals and/or the detail set out in the draft handbooks. In total there were just over 11,000 responses to the consultation. Across all 11 proposals, there were more than 17,000 individual free-text comments.

What are the key changes?

– Introducing a new ‘quality of education’ key judgement
– Creating 2 separate judgements for ‘personal development’ and ‘behaviour and attitudes’
– Focusing on behaviour and whether education providers create an environment in which learners are able to learn
– A greater focus on the curriculum and less on how schools and colleges generate, analyse and interpret data
– All inspection preparation will be carried out off site. Notice of inspection will remain at half a day, however the time inspectors spend on site will be extended to 2 days (smallest schools will remain at 1 day)

You can find the full consultation response here.

Ofsted are cotinuing to trial the new framework over the summer holidays but the implementation date is 1st September 2019.

Learn more about how you can implement these changes and what impact they may have on your school, at our popular School Inspection and Improvement Conferences in London, Manchester and Birmingham. Or you can get regular updates by subscribing to School Inspection + Improvement Magazine.