Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Deferred
Paragraph: 83
Ofsted's single-word judgements are widely criticised for oversimplifying school performance.
Conclusion
Evidence from groups representing teachers, school leaders, parents and pupils was highly critical of Ofsted’s single-word overall judgements. There is much concern that they simplify the complex environment of a school and the many efforts of its leadership and staff into a single headline. We have heard many suggestions as to possible alternatives, including examples from other jurisdictions, which should be further explored to assess the benefits and disadvantages of different approaches. However, we recognise that the grades are closely linked to many Department policies and that any changes will require broader reform of the system. Any reforms must also be mindful of the use made by parents of Ofsted gradings in school choice.
Government Response Summary
The government states that matters concerning inspection grades and broader reform fall to the Department for Education (DfE) rather than Ofsted, committing only to engage with the DfE on these issues.
Paragraph Reference:
83
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Many of the recommendations in the Committee’s report fall to the DfE, rather than Ofsted. We will engage with the DfE on inspection grades (Recommendation 14 in the Committee's report), on ensuring the consequences of inspection are proportionate (Recommendation 16 in the Committee's report), on support for schools that need to improve (particularly through our monitoring programmes) (Recommendation 18 in the Committee's report) and on considering new approaches to inspecting safeguarding (Recommendation 26 in the Committee's report). However, these are matters for the DfE, as is Recommendation 19 on improving the transparency and accountability of the work of the regional directors. Nearly all of the other recommendations fall to the DfE (Recommendations 4, 14, 16, 18 to 19, 26 and 28), and we commit to engaging with them on all relevant matters. We note that Recommendation 19 is not a matter for Ofsted.