Memorandum submitted by Sheelagh Webster
I wish to submit the following based on my personal
experiences of Ofsted as a Primary School Headteacher for 13 years,
a Primary School governor for three years and an ITT visiting
tutor for four years.
1. The purposes of Ofsted should be to:
1.1 Provide all interested parties with an assurance
of quality based on detailed examination and analysis of performance,
particularly in relation to self evaluation
1.2 Provide an independent, external view of
a school's performance and the National picture
1.3 Support schools in the improvement process
through dialogue, comparative data and examples of good practice
1.4 Endorse/challenge schools' self evaluation
process
1.5 Ensure standards are maintained
2. The impact of Ofsted on school improvement
should be to:
2.1 Enable schools to build on success and address
areas requiring improvement
2.2 Energise though endorsement and redirection
3. The performance of Ofsted should be to:
3.1 Be non threatening and supportive by offering
a consultancy/advisory service
3.2 Work with Local Authorities to support them
in their monitoring role
3.3 Work alongside the senior management teams
in all aspects of the process
3.4 Provide greater support and follow up work
with schools identified as having significant weaknesses ie less
condemnation, more support
3.5 Listen to the views of all stakeholders and
staff
3.6 In order to achieve these aims Ofsted should
reconsider its role and rename its process as a "Review"
or "Evaluation" rather than inspection. It needs to
gain the trust of educators and work in partnership with them.
4. The consistency and quality of teams carrying
out their role should be achieved by:
4.1 Requesting detailed feedback related to each
aspect of the process and an opportunity provided to discuss this
with a central department collating the evidence/ratings
4.2 Shadowing teams at least once per year
4.3 Providing rigorous and regular training for
team members
4.4 Providing detailed guidance
4.5 Providing a robust "Complaints"
procedure
4.6 Providing a framework that remains fixed
5. The weight given to different factors within
the process should:
5.1 Relate to the quality of educational provision
in terms of teaching and learning through core and foundation
subjects as well as enrichment programmes
5.2 Take account of achievement in its broadest
sense across all areas of learning and experiences
5.3 Not give undue weight to safeguarding
6. Should there be a single inspectorate of all
organisations, settings, and services to support children's learning
and welfare?
6.1 Ofsted should investigate the work of all
settings and organisations that are involved in the educational
process for comparison purposes but not those whose primary purpose
is not educational.
7. The role of Ofsted in providing an accountability
mechanism for schools with greater autonomy should be:
7.1 Exactly the same as that for all other schools
in order to achieve its purpose in relation to the education of
all children and to provide a representative National picture.
September 2010
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