Ofsted rule changes: How will English schools be assessed?

Schools with an 'inadequate' rating will be given more time to improve with the education standards body maintaining its one-word rating system.

Chief inspector Amanda Speilman said these changes represented an "important step".

What is Ofsted and what does it do?

We announced today that we’re giving schools more information about when they can expect their next inspection. In this blog, Lee Owston, our Deputy Director, Schools and Education, explains more: https://t.co/eVeUm7ndLr

— Ofsted (@Ofstednews) June 12, 2023

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, and is a non-ministerial government department which reports to parliament.

The main job of Ofsted is to ensure educational bodies for children in England are performing to a high standard.

It publishes reports on the quality of education and management at schools on a regular basis, gathering its information from inspections.

Why are changes being introduced by Ofsted?

The changes that have been announced in how Ofsted assesses English schools follow the death of headteacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life.

She died after her school (Caversham Primary School in Reading) was marked 'good' in every category except for leadership and management, which was ranked as 'inadequate'.

Her family has made claims it was the outcome of the inspection which drove her to take her own life, however the inquest into her death has yet to take place.

Ofsted has been under pressure from teaching unions and Labour, as well as Ruth Perry's family, to change.

Calls have been made to do away with the one-word appraisals but chief inspector Amanda Spielman said this "wouldn't really solve the underlying discomfort".

Over recent months there has been a wide-ranging public debate about Ofsted’s school inspections. Today we have announced measures to improve our work with schools. Read more about the changes we are making here: https://t.co/CHBINtmLM0

— Ofsted (@Ofstednews) June 12, 2023

What changes have been announced by Ofsted?

Ofsted has announced a number of changes to how it assesses schools:

• Schools will continue to be graded 'inadequate' if inspectors raise issues around how children are kept safe but these schools will be revisited within three months to allow them to improve.
• From September 2023, schools will be given more information and guidance on what is expected when it comes to keeping children safe, record keeping and staff training.
• When discussing weaknesses, inspectors will reference the school and not individuals.
• Schools will be given more information about the timing of inspections.
• The body's complaints system will be changed so that complaints can be raised to an independent adjudicator at an earlier stage.

More information can be found on the Ofsted website.