Ofsted has revealed how it will test its proposed new approach to inspection in the coming weeks, with trial visits to around 240 schools, colleges and early years settings.
The watchdog is currently consulting on plans to overhaul its inspection process. They plan to end ungraded inspections, increase monitoring of under-performing schools, and introduce new inspection “toolkits“.
The plans would also introduce controversial new “reports cards“, through which inspectors would judge schools and colleges across up to 11 areas using a five-point grading system.
Ofsted piloted the proposed new framework at six education providers before it launched its public consultation on February 3, and had said it planned to trial it further once the consultation was underway.
The inspectorate said its visits would “provide an early opportunity for our inspectors to become familiar with the main features of the new approach.
“Of course, they will do this without pre-judging further changes, which may follow the consultation.”
Which settings will get a visit?
On Wednesday, the watchdog revealed it will now visit around 240 providers across the country to test its plan more widely.
It says the visits will test “how the new approach and toolkits feel, both for the providers and the inspectors”.
The trial visits will take place at childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, independent schools, further education providers and ITE providers.
It is not known how many of each of those settings will be visited, nor how they will be selected.
Will schools be forced to take part?
All of the visits are voluntary, meaning schools approached to take part can decline.
The visits are not official inspections and will not result in official, graded assessments.
However, it is not known whether Ofsted will draw up unofficial report cards that will remain unpublished.
What form will the visits take?
The test visits will take three different forms.
Around half will be “thematic” or “paired thematic” visits – both limited to assessing specific areas of Ofsted’s proposals.
Thematic visits will test the “feasibility and validity” of specific aspects of the proposed methodology, and inspection toolkits.
Meanwhile paired thematic visits will be carried out by more than one inspector, and will test the consistency of assessments.
Reliability has long been a concern regarding Ofsted inspections, and leaders have expressed fears the proposed new framework will make judgments less reliable.
Paired thematic visits “will test whether inspectors follow the same process, and have shared views on the strengths and areas for improvement”, for the body that is being inspected.
The other half of the 240 inspections will be full, “end-to-end” visits. These will comprise a full inspection, to test the entire inspection methodology and toolkits.
Visits to test ‘validity’ of new inspection toolkits
A key facet of Ofsted’s proposed changes is the introduction of inspection “toolkits”, which would be available to schools.
These rubrics describe the quality inspectors “expect to see at each point on the scale” from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern’, for each of the 11 judgment areas.
Critics have described the toolkits as “nonsense”, and say the descriptors for different grades are too similar.
Ofsted said its trial visits will look at “feasibility” and “validity” of the toolkits, or how well they help inspectors gather evidence, and whether they enable inspectors to collect evidence on “the most important aspects of education”.
They will also look at “scalability” – how well the toolkits work together, whether they cover the rights areas and how to “avoid unnecessary of unhelpful repetition”.
How will feedback affect Ofsted reforms?
Sector leaders have stressed Ofsted must be open about its pilot process and the way it uses feedback to change its proposals if needed.
The watchdog said it will gather and consider all feedback from these test visits – from both inspectors and providers – and “reflect on the process and the effect of the new toolkits”.
“This will allow us to make any necessary changes before introducing our new approach later this year.”
Ofsted’s 12-week consultation is due to end on April 28.
Ofsted will publish a report on the outcome of the consultation in the summer. The final agreed reforms will then be piloted again across all types of setting, before being formally implemented from autumn 2025.
Pilots ‘have so far been positive’
Before launching its consultation early this month, Ofsted trialled its proposals at six settings.
Lee Owston, the watchdog’s national director for education, recently claimed the “overwhelming” response to these mock inspections had been “very, very positive”.
“The purpose of those trials was to get reaction in terms of what it is … that we’re proposing, and of course, we have made adjustments and tweaks,” he said.
As Ofsted’s official public consultation is underway, former senior HMIs have launched their own consultation on the new inspection plans, fearing the watchdog is asking leaders to “take it or leave it”.
Frank Norris and Colin Richards – who were behind last year’s “alternative big listen” – have created the “alternative big consultation” (ABC) to independently gather opinions on the plans.
