Conclusions and recommendations
The work of Ofsted in 2003-04
1. This
report comes at an important time for Ofsted. Our aim is to scrutinise
the growing role of the inspectorate as it expands into new areas;
to judge whether Ofsted is the appropriate body to undertake the
inspection of these sectors, and to comment on its approach from
the evidence we have been given. We are also concerned to monitor
the implementation of Ofsted's recent strategic proposals, both
in children's services and in school inspection and reporting,
which has been its core work for over a decade. Ofsted must now
ensure consistency of judgement across many different types of
institutions catering for a variety of age groups. It must also
show that its inspections are making a significant contribution
to improvement in the settings it inspects and thus demonstrate
value for money. (Paragraph 18)
Growth of Ofsted's responsibilities
2. Ofsted
is now the size of a small Government department and is set to
grow again in the future, following its assumption of lead responsibility
for the inspection of children's services. This expansion must
be carefully managed and monitored to ensure that there does not
come a point at which Ofsted becomes too large to be managed effectively
as single organisation. Ofsted should take lessons from its recent
internal staff survey when considering future staff changes and
alterations to its managerial structure. (Paragraph 23)
3. In
last year's report, The Work of Ofsted 2002-03, we expressed our
concerns that Ofsted's new duty under the Race Relations Act had
failed to permeate hearts and minds throughout the inspectorate.
We are satisfied the inspectorate has made progress in this area
through the training of staff, but greater effort is required
to make progress in changing the profile of staff recruited to
Ofsted. (Paragraph 32)
Every Child Matters
4. We
agree with HMCI that a sound and reliable inspection regime will
be vital to the reform of children's services set out in the Green
Paper Every Child Matters. The difficulties inherent in this project
must not be elided. Ofsted faces a considerable challenge in developing
an inspection regime that is thorough and fit for purpose, yet
does not impose too great a burden on services which are themselves
coping with a major transformation. Particular difficulties may
result from the inspectorate's decision to be "proportionate
to risk" by focusing on services identified as most in need
of scrutiny. While this strategy may streamline the inspection
process, it must be carefully managed to ensure that standards
are maintained in all services for children and young people.
(Paragraph 34)
5. The further expansion
of Ofsted's role to incorporate the coordination of inspection
for children's services will have an impact upon the scale and
staffing of the inspectorate. It is important that this addition
is integrated into the existing Ofsted structures. (Paragraph
35)
Value for money
6. Government
services are increasingly coming under pressure to meet stringent
efficiency targets. Given this climate, we are surprised that
it has taken so long for Ofsted to publish a review of its efficiency
levels and costs. We welcome the publication of the self-assessment
review Improvement through inspection, the inspectorate's first
attempt to quantify its impact and cost-effectiveness. We shall
return to this matter in November this year, when we hope to explore
with HMCI the potential for Ofsted to develop its first self-assessment
document into a more rigorously quantified evaluation. (Paragraph
51)
School inspections
7. The
proposals for a 'new relationship with schools', discussed in
detail later in this report, are a welcome development, especially
as they are intended to alleviate pressure on schools to spend
an extended period preparing for inspection. (Paragraph 58)
School improvement
8. Instead
of improving, failing schools can fall into a vicious circle,
or 'spiral of decline', whereby they are unable to attract high-achieving
pupils or well qualified staff. (Paragraph 61)
9. The value of inspection
is diminished if it is not coupled with advice. Whilst it is very
important that Ofsted continues to identify schools that are not
offering good quality education, the DfES should ensure that schools
which receive negative Ofsted reports are guaranteed to receive
support from LEAs as well as other agencies such as the local
Learning and Skills Council (LSC), giving failing schools a real
opportunity to improve. (Paragraph 62)
Parents
10. We
urge Ofsted to devote particular attention to maintaining the
reliability of its reports as it moves towards a new inspection
framework. We are also concerned that Ofsted reports sometimes
provide an outdated assessment of a school, which may have achieved
significant improvement since its last inspection. When championing
its reports as a source of information for parents and others,
Ofsted should not disguise the limitations of the inspection process,
which can only provide a snapshot of a school's development at
one particular time. (Paragraph 68)
Policy
11. The
high profile and activity level of Ofsted under its current HMCI
should continue and even expand in future, particularly as the
inspectorate takes on its new responsibilities for children's
services under the proposals of the Every Child Matters Green
Paper. This is a particularly sensitive sector where Government
policy is emerging, and an area where Ofsted has the potential
to add value not only through the inspection of individual institutions,
but also through the publication of reports taking a broader overview
of particular services. (Paragraph 71)
Inspection and reporting
Early years: disclosure of information
12. We
welcome recent developments that allow Ofsted to share information
more widely in the case of complaints against childcare providers.
We urge HMCI to pursue his discussions with the DfES on the possibility
of changing the law so that information on complaints is routinely
recorded and included in inspection reports. (Paragraph 76)
Satisfactory
13. We
consider that Ofsted has now clarified what is expected of schools
in terms of 'satisfactory' teaching. We hope that Ofsted has learnt
from this experience that schools and school staff need to know
exactly what is expected of them and the criteria against which
they will be measured. It is important that this information is
set out publicly in a clear and explicit form. We further hope
that Ofsted will follow this model when informing institutions
about the new inspection arrangements it proposes to implement.
(Paragraph 80)
A new relationship with schools
14. The
new inspection regime proposed by Ofsted responds to many of the
deficiencies of the current system that we have identified in
recent years and is to be warmly welcomed. (Paragraph 82)
15. Regular and honest
self-evaluation is a hallmark of a well run institution. Ofsted's
proposals to encourage all schools to make it part of their normal
routine are therefore welcome. Our evidence has highlighted the
sensitive nature of the self-evaluation process. Self-evaluation
structures must be robust in detecting areas for improvement,
yet schools must not be punished for identifying weaknesses where
they have developed and implemented plans to deal with these problems.
We look forward to seeing more detailed proposals on self-evaluation
from Ofsted, which must address the sensitive nature of this procedure.
(Paragraph 87)
16. It is not clear
to us why LEAs need to be graded on a seven-point scale, whereas
day care providers can be accurately assessed according to a much
less sophisticated three-point scale. (Paragraph 90)
17. We agree with
Ofsted that there is merit in developing a more consistent grading
system across different types of inspection. A common currency
would make terms like 'satisfactory' much less confusing and much
more accessible to all. (Paragraph 92)
18. A consistent inspection
framework should not do away with distinctions which are necessary
to ensure that the inspection system is fit for purpose. (Paragraph
92)
19. We understand
that Ofsted is developing a new framework for post-16 inspections
and we urge HMCI to consider carefully how this framework will
join up with area inspections, for which it has only recently
instituted a new regime. Ofsted's judgement of school sixth forms
and other post-16 institutions must take account of the collaborative
setting in which they are now expected to work. (Paragraph 97)
20. Despite repeated
reassurances from HMCI that work is in hand, it is not clear from
published documents whether the changes to school inspection outlined
in The Future of Inspection will be matched by reforms to the
inspection regime in the college sector. (Paragraph 101)
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