CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Inspection and reporting
1. We remain concerned that the apparent
interpretation of the term satisfactory has shifted and caused
confusion and concern among teachers and parents. It must be
understood that satisfactory performance represents work that
is adequate in all respects in the context in which it takes place.
(Paragraph 13)
2. In continuing the
debate on satisfactory teaching care needs to be taken in the
presentation of the arguments on the quality of provision so as
to ensure that the discussion takes place in a constructive, rather
than accusatory, manner. All teachers should be supported to improve
further while those who demonstrate the best practice should be
encouraged to take their skills into the schools in challenging
circumstances, where they may make the most significant contribution
to raising pupil achievement. (Paragraph 14)
Early years inspection
3. While we acknowledge the legal
constraints placed upon HMCI regarding disclosure of information
relating to the investigation of complaints against child-care
providers, we remain concerned that parents who are denied access
to this important information about their child-care provider,
may, for understandable reasons, lose faith in both their providers
and the system of inspection. The handling of requests for information
about complaints, where providers do not consent to disclosure,
will be important in this regard and we look forward to HMCI's
proposals on this issue. If a change in the law is required it
should be brought forward as soon as possible. (Paragraph 20)
Post-compulsory education
4. We encourage Ofsted to continue
to work with colleagues in the post-compulsory sector to develop
appropriate value-added measures, and we recommend that such measures
should be incorporated into the revised framework. (Paragraph
24)
5. We shall be returning
to the issue of skills education in a forthcoming inquiry and
will therefore take great interest in the operation of the Learning
and Skills Council at national and local levels. (Paragraph 26)
6. The Learning and
Skills Council will have a crucial role in promoting and coordinating
services to meet the needs of all students in post compulsory
education and in bringing to an end the historical focus on the
needs of the most able students. Ofsted's scrutiny of the LSC's
work in this area will be of great importance in evaluating their
progress. (Paragraph 28)
7. The quality of
education for students in some independent specialist colleges
is a matter of grave concern given the extreme vulnerability of
many of the students involved. We urge the Government to act to
strengthen provision in these areas. The Government should also
consider the extent to which the regulatory framework governing
the provision of education in independent specialist colleges
is sufficient to meet the needs of their students. (Paragraph
30)
8. The Government
should take careful note of Ofsted's findings on the operation
of work-based learning in the post compulsory sector when developing
its proposals for work-based learning in compulsory education.
(Paragraph 32)
Local education authority inspections
9. We believe that a comparison of
the different methods of intervention in LEAs, and an assessment
of the educational effectiveness of intervention in general, would
be valuable. We recommend that Ofsted include these exercises
in its programme as soon as possible. (Paragraph 40)
Pupil behaviour and attendance
10. If pupils are not in school, their
learning is unlikely to progress. That the strategies put into
place to address this issue have had relatively little impact
on the level of unauthorised absence is a matter of great concern
and we therefore ask the Government to set out its action plan
for improving attendance in future years. (Paragraph 42)
11. We recommend that
the Government clarifies its intentions with regard to the use
of pupil referral units (PRUs). Clear guidance is needed on the
placement of pupils with special needs in PRUs and the appropriate
resources for them. (Paragraph 46)
Ofsted's duties under the Race Relations Amendment
Act 2002
12. We
encourage Ofsted to continue its work to incorporate the positive
duty to promote race equality into the full range of its activities
and to ensure that this intention extends to the practice of each
and every inspector. We will revisit this issue in future sessions
with HMCI. (Paragraph 53)
Ofsted's advisory role
13. While the benefits of the data
collected during inspections are no doubt at the disposal of the
DfES, we encourage HMCI to use the evidence from inspection and
contained in the Ofsted database more widely in the public domain,
to inform emergent thinking, as well as commenting in more depth
on established policies and initiatives. (Paragraph 56)
The work ahead
14. We welcome Ofsted's future programme
of work and look forward to scrutinising it through our regular
meetings with HMCI and other colleagues from the inspectorate,
particularly in light of the expansion of the work of Ofsted.
We will also want to consider the cost effectiveness of the inspection
regime given that the number of schools performing well is increasing
year on year. (Paragraph 58)
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