Memorandum submitted by the National Association
of Head Teachers
Thank you for the opportunity to submit issues
that the Committee can discuss with Her Majesty's Chief Inspector
of Schools. The NAHT feels it would be useful for the Committee
to raise the following issues with the Chief Inspector:
1. In 2002-03 160 schools were put into
special measures, as against 129 in the previous year, a 24% increase.
Although this is still a small number in comparison to the number
of schools inspected, it does represent a significant increase.
Has the Chief Inspector any views as to why this increase has
taken place? Over the same period, 163 schools were designated
as having serious weaknesses, as against 201 in the previous year;
a simplistic look at these figures might indicate that some schools
had been put into special measures that might, in previous years,
have been identified as having serious weaknesses. Is that the
case? In addition, only 130 schools were taken out of special
measures, against 163 the previous year. Is there any significance
in the increased number of schools put into special measures,
or the reduction in the number coming out of special measures,
during 2003-03?
2. The figures quoted above relate to 2002-03,
the period covered by the Chief Inspector's Annual Report. Nevertheless,
there is a strong perception in schools that the Framework for
Inspection introduced in September 2003 has raised the standard
required for a school to receive a good report. The feeling is
that a school inspected now would be likely to receive a less
positive report than if the inspection had taken place before
September 2003. Can the Chief Inspector counter this perception?
3. There is concern in many schools regarding
the Ofsted Complaint Procedure. The Annual Report notes a slight
increase in the proportion of complaints over the previous year,
and an increase in the complexity of the complaints received.
The average time taken to deal fully with a complaint, according
to the Annual Report, was 50 days, a substantial rise on the previous
year. This is too long for an aggrieved school. NAHT would like
to see a mediation process introduced into the Complaint Procedure
at an early stage, so that genuine complaints could be identified
and investigated much sooner than is the case now. While there
needs to be discussion as to how this would work in practice,
it might be interesting for the Committee to explore any plans
the Chief Inspector has to review the Complaint Procedure.
4. As form S4 has evolved, the role of school
self-evaluation in inspection has become more significant. This
is set to take on a greater significance, in the light of the
draft proposals for future inspection arrangements published recently.
It may well be useful to explore how effective the Chief Inspector
feels self-evaluation has been up to now.
February 2004
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