Independent schools inspection annual conferences 2014

Bradley Simmons, National Director, Independent schools

John Seal HMI, Special Advisor to Independent schools

Jos Parsons, Principal Officer, Independent schools policy

Heather Yaxley HMI, National Lead, Independent schools

Birmingham, 8 October 2014

Manchester, 9 October 2014

London, 14 October 2014

Themes

What are inspections telling us?

How do we get to and stay good?

Inspections: present and future

The Department for Education: the role of the DfE and the reform programme for independent schools

Aims

Sharing information about inspection findings

Sharing current and future inspection developments

Reviewing key features of good and better schools

Providing opportunities for discussion, questions and to hear from the Department for Education (DfE)

What do independent school inspections cover?

The standard independent schools inspection has two parts:

1)Qualitative: key judgements based on Non-association independent schools inspection handbook (Please note: the revised versions of the handbook as well as other useful guidance documents are now available on the Ofsted website: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/schools/for-schools/inspecting-schools/inspecting-independent-schools/main-inspection-documents-for-inspectors)

2)Regulatory: the extent to which the school meets The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012

Inspection outcomes: September 2013 - June 2014

Between September 2013 and June 2014 total of 248 schools were inspected. The overall effectiveness judgements:

32 were outstanding (12.9%) 146 were good (58.9%) 43 were adequate/requires improvement (17.3%) 27 were inadequate (10.9%)

70 (28.2%) of schools were judged as not providing a good education for their pupils

191 (77%) of schools judged to be good or better for quality of teaching

171 (69%) of schools were judged to be good or better for leadership and management

Inspection outcomes 2013/14: standards

Up to June 2014, 78% met 100% of the standards and no schools failed more than 50% of all standards. However:4% of schools failed to meet at least 90% of standards relating to premises and accommodation at schools6% of schools failed to meet 90% of standards relating to welfare health and safety of pupils (including safeguarding)The least well-met standard has been: ‘Arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school and have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary of State’: 23 schools inspected (9.3%) did not meet this standard

Safeguarding and promoting thewelfare of children

In April 2014, the DfE issued a guidance document: ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, which sets out:

What school and college staff need to know

What school and college staff should look out for

What school and college staff should do if they have concerns about a child

Types of abuse and neglect

Specific safeguarding issues

We expect schools` proprietors, managers and staff to have read this guidance and where necessary, have acted upon it.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education

Q1. Two things about your school’s performance that you are pleased about

Q2. One thing that concerns you

Discussion

Grade descriptor for ‘good’ overall effectiveness:

Where are you against the criteria?

How do you know?

How do you prove it?

Discussion: ‘Getting to Good’ 1: overall effectiveness

Grade descriptor for ‘good’ leadership and management:

Where are you against these criteria?

What does good school governance look like for you?

Discussion: ‘Getting to Good’ 2: leadership and management

Ofsted inspections from April 2014

In April 2014 a new inspection framework was introduced, which replaced the Grade 3 judgement ‘adequate’ with ‘requires improvement’.

The key judgements are now the same as for maintained schools, academies and free schools

The evaluation schedule outlines what will be inspected:

Leadership and management Quality of teaching Achievement Behaviour and safety of pupils Overall effectiveness(Link to the Framework for inspecting non-association independent schools: http://

www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/framework-for-inspecting-non-association-independent-schools)

Ofsted inspections from September 2014

From September 2014, we are also making:

Graded judgements on early years and 6th form provision Written judgements on behaviour and safety (this is the same

as in the case of inspections of maintained schools, academies and free schools)

From 29 September 2014 we are inspecting against the revised SMSC standard

We will inspect against the other revised Independent school standards (ISS) as they come into force

(Link to the Non-association independent schools inspection handbook: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/non-association-independent-school-inspection-handbook)

Ofsted inspections from September 2014

We continue to carry out the following types of additional inspections on the request of the DfE:

Pre-registration inspections Material change inspections Emergency inspections Progress monitoring inspections We also carry out on behalf of the DfE, Action plan

evaluations

The Conducting additional inspections of independent schools guidance document sets out all of the above: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/conducting-additional-inspections-of-independent-schools

Improvement inspection for schools judged as `requires improvement’ and `inadequate’:

Ofsted’s spring consultation asked: ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree that independent schools judged as requires improvement or inadequate should be challenged to improve through frequent improvement inspections by inspectors?’ 79% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.

Ofsted proposes that this be resolved by the qualitative issues raised in the inspection report being reviewed alongside compliance with unmet standards on the progress monitoring inspections of inadequate schools.

Progress monitoring inspections are not carried out for requires improvement schools currently. The proposal is therefore that a progress monitoring inspection be carried out on each requires improvement school which will review the qualitative issues raised in the inspection report alongside compliance with any unmet standards.

Future changes to inspection 1: improving from requires improvement and inadequate

Change of frequency for requires improvement and inadequate providers:

Ofsted’s spring consultation asked: To what extent do you agree or disagree that an independent school judged as requires improvement or inadequate should be re-inspected within two years of its previous inspection? 82% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.

It is therefore proposed that non-association independent schools found to be requires improvement or inadequate on inspections from 2015 should be re-inspected within 2 years.

Future changes to inspection 2:change to frequency of inspections for schools found to be requires improvement or inadequate

Ofsted proposes that:

From September 2015 all maintained schools and academies, non-association independent schools, further education and skills providers be inspected in accordance with a common inspection framework

The common inspection framework would make the following key judgements:

Overall effectiveness

Effectiveness of leadership and management / Quality of curriculum

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Personal development, behaviour and welfare (including SMSC)

Outcomes for children

We will always also report on: Helping to protect learners and keeping them safe, and always taking into account learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

Future changes to inspection 3: a common inspection framework

Ofsted proposes that:

From September 2015 all non-association independent schools will be inspected in three years in accordance with the common inspection framework and the revised independent school standards (ISS)

This will set a new baseline against the new framework and standards

Future changes to inspection 4: a common inspection framework

Work with us to shape future inspections

The ‘Better inspection for all’ public consultation is now open and runs until 5 December 2014. Please give your views at: www.ofsted.gov.uk/futureofinspection

If you are an education professional, we would like you to join our inspection teams. In the early 2015, we hope to publicise opportunities in the ‘Working for us’ section of the Ofsted website:

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/about-us/working-for-ofsted/how-become-inspector

A revised framework for the inspection of boarding and residential provision in schools from April 2015

Will cover revised National Minimum Standards

Public consultation intended for winter 2014/15

We will be writing to all boarding schools/residential special schools in the course of October 2014 asking for schools to volunteer to take part in some pilots of inspection of boarding/ residential provision

Future changes to inspection 5: a new framework for inspecting boarding and residential provision

Are your details up to date?

The Department for Education (DfE) maintains a register of educational establishments in England and Wales, which provides information on establishments providing compulsory, higher and further education.

Edubase - http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml

Please ensure that your schools` contact details are up to date. The above site offers a `self-service’ option for updating this information.

However, should you have any further queries, these can be directed to the following DfE team/email:

Independent Education and Boarding Team email: registration.enquiries@education.gsi.gov.uk