The Work of Ofsted - Children, Schools and Families Committee Contents


Memorandum submitted by Jacqueline Winstanley, Chair, National Access to Culture Forum

INCLUSION TRAINING FOR OFSTED INSPECTORS

  This submission represents the experiences of the Inclusion Officers, Providers of Play Childcare and cultural opportunities, Parents/Carers, Children and Young people in Manchester, Rochdale, Trafford, Leeds, Knowsley's and Bolton.

  As part of an implementation process of what was previously known as the Inclusive Play care Model (now the Inclusion Framework) which began in 2001, all of the above have had direct experience of the inspection process undertaken by Ofsted.

  During this time there has been extensive audit and review of outcomes in this area collated within each Authority/organisation and brought to the National Forum.

  As part of this implementation process Inclusion Training was undertaken by the North West Regional Ofsted Inspectors relating to the Framework and in particular the Social Model of Disability and the relevance and reality of positive opportunities for disabled children and young people.

  Following this training, providers who had previously expressed anxiety around the standard relating to Inclusive practice, reported a much more positive experience within the inspection process and an increased level of clarity on both sides both in knowledge and understanding of the actual issues around providing an inclusive opportunity and the individual factors which were necessary and could be easily requested and evidenced within the inspection process.

  Inclusion Officers began to make the Forum aware of settings who were being awarded outstanding practice in this area, they believed as a direct result of the Inspectors accessing Inclusion training.

  I myself am directly aware, as the Training provider at the time, of the positive response from the Inspectors to the training and the impact it had at the time, particularly around the difference between the Play and Educational settings when inspecting inclusive practice.

  As time has elapsed and the cascading process continued there has not been to our knowledge any further uptake of such training within the different regions and our most recent audit (September 2007 currently being collated) is starting to evidence, as would be natural, an inconsistency in clarity within the process as new Inspectors come on board who had not received training.

  A general feeling amongst Inclusion Officers and providers is that this inconsistency can lead to good practice going unrecognised during some inspections and increased confusion and anxiety within the process.

    "The aim is for Ofsted to look at the broader sense of the word `inclusion' through the social model of disability, and not solely refer to the SEN policy." Inclusion Officer, Trafford

  Parents and Carers have expressed that they felt after the training the Inspectors seemed to know what they were looking for and understood what the issues were for the families and they had more confidence in the inspection process and their role and that of their children/young people in it.

  In conclusion the Forum can only base our submission on the experiences of those within it and we recognise as pointed out by some of our Inclusion Officers we do not know what training the Ofsted Inspectors currently access in this area.

RECOMMENDATION

  The Forum would however strongly support any request for Ofsted Inspectors to undertake appropriate Inclusion Training as part of workforce development in this area and would be happy to provide further evidence to the benefits of such training if required.

December 2007





 
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