Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 20
20
Accepted in Part
Paragraph: 72
Work with Ofsted to review and improve the evaluation of financial education provision.
Recommendation
The Department for Education should work with Ofsted to review how it can improve its evaluation of financial education. We recommend that citizenship provision be inspected under the quality of education key judgement and personal development. The Department should take note of the Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2022– 23 and its recommendation that Ofsted should evaluate schools’ achievement of the Gatsby benchmarks.
Government Response Summary
The government explained Ofsted's current inspection framework already considers broad curriculum and personal development, where financial education might be assessed. While it noted Ofsted's upcoming consultation on a new inspection framework, it did not specifically commit to reviewing the evaluation of financial education or inspecting citizenship under the 'quality of education' judgement. It did, however, affirm commitment to the Gatsby Benchmarks and will work with Ofsted to reflect updated benchmarks in inspection practice from September 2025.
Paragraph Reference:
72
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The current Ofsted inspection regime considers whether pupils are receiving a rounded education, looking at data, quality of the curriculum, behaviour and support for pupils’ personal development and school leadership. All schools, regardless of category and phase, are inspected against their ability to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum. Ofsted inspectors assess the quality of education and elements of financial education may be in scope when Ofsted conducts a deep dive into maths. Ofsted also assesses a school’s support for pupils’ personal development which could include financial education within citizenship. The government wants all school leaders to have confidence in the inspection system, and for it to be as useful as possible, for teachers, parents and children alike. Ofsted will be consulting on a new education inspection framework shortly, to come into effect next academic year, alongside the introduction of school report cards. These reforms will have a real difference and will make sure that Ofsted continues to be a valuable source of impartial information, which is trusted by teachers and leaders. We have worked with Ofsted to strengthen inspection of careers guidance, including the quality of provision and how well it benefits pupils in deciding on their next step. The government notes the Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2022 to 2023 and its recommendation that Ofsted should evaluate schools’ achievement of the Gatsby benchmarks. On all school inspections, Ofsted inspectors look at the school’s use of the Gatsby Benchmarks, the quality of careers advice and meaningful work experience. Ofsted reported last year that both schools and FE and skills providers found the Gatsby Benchmarks useful to help strategically review and develop their careers programme20,21. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Gatsby Benchmarks, recently updated to achieve even more impact for young people. The government will publish updated careers statutory guidance in spring, in preparation for the implementation of the revised benchmarks from September 2025. We will work with Ofsted to ensure these changes to the benchmarks are reflected in inspection practice.