Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
First Report - Ofsted’s work with schools
Education Committee
HC 117
Published 29 January 2024
Recommendations
4
Accepted in Part
Require Ofsted to urgently address seven concerns from Ruth Perry's coroner's report and report progress.
Recommendation
The serious nature of a Prevention of Future Deaths report will not be lost on the new HMCI. We expect him to make every effort to address the coroner’s report fully. Ofsted should review the seven areas of concern set …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it has responded fully to the coroner’s report and committed to appointing an independent expert this month to lead a learning review of Ofsted’s policies regarding tragic incidents. They will respond to this review's recommendations as part of the Big Listen, but do not explicitly commit to reporting to the committee every six months.
Department for Education
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36
Accepted in Part
Publish separate complaints data for each sector, including per inspection and upheld rates.
Recommendation
In its annual report and accounts, Ofsted should publish separate complaints data for each sector in their remit, including data on the number and percentage of complaints per inspection, whether these relate to conduct or judgements, and the percentage of …
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Government Response Summary
The government states they already publish some complaints data and commit to providing percentages of complaints per inspection remit from 2024-25, and separating information about the proportion of inspections upheld by remit. They will also investigate the practicality of separating conduct and judgement complaints.
Department for Education
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Conclusions (4)
18
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 62
We have heard that access to training materials gives school leaders working as inspectors a disproportionate advantage over those who do not, and that Ofsted does not make enough data available to qualified researchers. While we accept that Ofsted publishes many other materials to support schools with inspections and that …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing all training materials unless there is a strong reason not to, noting that much is already public and some is withheld due to context or external ownership. They also intend to publish data wherever possible.
19
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Ofsted must ensure that it is publishing as much information as possible to maximise the transparency of its work. In particular, it must make more data available to key educational research organisations to allow for high-quality research to be conducted. Ofsted must also publish the training materials which are available …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing all training materials unless there is a strong reason not to, explaining that some material is already public or withheld due to context. They also intend to publish training material and data wherever possible.
33
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 109
Schools have also told us that the complaints process is hampered by a lack of access to inspectors’ notes and documents that have been used to reach a conclusion. While we understand that there are considerations around confidentiality regarding these documents, schools cannot effectively challenge a judgement if they are …
Government Response Summary
The government commits to providing percentages of complaints per inspection remit from 2024-25 and separating information about the proportion of inspections upheld by remit. It also states that improving transparency and understanding of judgements will be discussed with the sector as part of the 'Big Listen'.
41
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 132
The Department and Ofsted must go further than simply ‘myth-busting’: they must undertake a programme of research to fully understand the causes of inspection- related workload pressure and assess what changes would be genuinely helpful in reducing this. The new HMCI should prioritise work in this area as part of …
Government Response Summary
The government states that the 'Big Listen' initiative will serve as a programme of research to gather feedback on the impact of inspection and is committed to reducing workload. They will evaluate how leaders address well-being and reduce workload as part of this.