staffing levels, numbers shielding or absent through illness, including TA and support staff cover and any particular circumstances that have restricted their ability to provide remote education, any rota systems, off-site arrangements for staff, pressures on specific areas of the school, including, for example, leadership, changes to the curriculum that are a result of maintaining Covid measures, the number of pupils working remotely versus numbers onsite and operational pressures this is creating, restrictions on entry to, and movement within, the school site. Ofsted is planning to resume graded inspections of schools in the Summer term. Yes - Ofsted’s deferral policy includes a section on Covid which states: ‘If providers have concerns about the timing of these visits, we will judge each case on its own merits, in line with this policy. We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. It is critical to raise concerns at the earliest opportunity with the lead inspector. No. The definition of a ‘qualifying complaint’ is set out in regulations[2], and includes complaints about the quality of education provided by a school and how far a school meets the needs of the range of pupils at that school. Retired from school leadership or considering retirement in the future? John Roberts 12th January 2021 at 5:44pm. Before the current ‘lockdown’ Ofsted had already announced that it intends to conduct section 8 monitoring inspections of ‘inadequate schools’, and some schools judged as ‘requires improvement’. Wednesday, January 13, 2021 Ofsted has paused assurance visits to early years settings, and will carry out school inspections remotely, until after February half term. To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. The proposed new framework will be implemented from February 2021. Ofsted monitoring inspections will now take place remotely until half term, following a U-turn by the watchdog. Ofsted had planned to resume monitoring inspections from Monday, January 18, and intended to send its inspectors physically into schools and other settings. In some cases, NAHT believes that it may be possible to avoid a deferral by inspectors conducting their work offsite and virtually. The operational note makes clear that inspectors’ evidence gathering activities will be in line with those set out in the Section 8 handbook (para 133-136, pp 33-34) which provides for ‘…discussions with staff and pupils, reviewing minutes of governing body meetings, observing learning and pupils’ behaviour, and talking to pupils about their work and their progress.’. Other than Ofsted’s report What’s working well in remote education and DfE’s guidance, NAHT is currently not aware of any remote learning framework, criteria or grade descriptors for inspectors. Ofsted Inspections are unfair and unnecessary burdens at this time. Ofsted may. Ofsted has published further details on assurance inspections for early years providers in new guidance effective from January 2021. After this, Ofsted’s intention is that inspectors will be in school, but there are likely to be circumstances where this is inappropriate due to the measures that the school has implemented to keep pupils and staff safe, and limit community transmission of the Covid virus. Dismiss this ad. Ofsted will take Covid-19 tests when conducting a monitoring visit that can only be done on site, new Ofsted guidance says. Ofsted has today set out its plans for a phased return to inspections of education and childcare providers in England in 2021.. In some cases, it may not be appropriate for inspectors to be on site. 4-min read ... “The allegation that children were hidden in squash courts during an Ofsted inspection in January 2018 was subject to an extensive internal investigation once it was brought to the Academy's attention some time later. School leaders are best placed to advise inspectors on their own school’s individual circumstances and context. Ofsted inspections to be done remotely until half term. Structures, inspection and accountability. Ofsted has delayed plans to begin 'assurance inspections' at early years settings until after half-term 2021.. 2022-2025 Inspections should include a judgement on COVID period performance specifically instead. General Election 2019: Our schools. Ofsted says: "We will continue to risk assess monitoring visits carefully. See the section below for more advice on exploring the circumstances and rationale for a remote or virtual inspection; and also, section 3 on requesting a deferral. While COVID-19 continues to challenge, let’s hope that 2021 brings some resolution and relief. This will necessarily affect the viability of some inspection activities to prevent, for example, breaching ‘bubbles’. Since then, teachers, headteachers and support staff have been stepping up to support pupils, families and … Moreover, effective remote learning provision will vary by pupils’ age, phase, ability, and a school’s context, circumstance and community. Ofsted pushes back resuming inspections to Summer 2021 Consultant : Steve Barker Date posted: December 2020 The Department for Education announced, in a press release, on 3rd December that full, graded Ofsted inspections will not resume until the summer term. These are set out in legislation as ‘prescribed exceptions’. The operational note sets out how inspectors will ‘work alongside leaders during the inspection, providing the right level of challenge, at the right time, to support the school’s improvement.’. 1. All Rights Reserved. Synchronous education: this is live; asynchronous education is when the material is prepared by the teacher and accessed by the pupil at a later date. Ofsted has 'paused' early years assurance visits until after the February half term. Schools and colleges rated "outstanding" will be subject to Ofsted inspections after the Department for Education backed lifting the exemption. Inspection activity should be focused on the substance of the complaint. Initial Teacher Education Update January 2021 Happy New Year to you all. In such a case Ofsted might choose to investigate the complaint using their existing complaints procedure (see below). Ask: If you are unclear about the reason for the investigation, or the process followed by Ofsted contact NAHT’s helpline for assistance (0300 30 30 333 and select option 1) at the earliest opportunity. The note identifies that inspectors will evaluate: Members are advised to read the full detail for each of the above bullets, which is set out in the ‘Focus’ section of the note. Inspectors to be redeployed for 2021 to support establishments/LAs previously graded RI or Inadequate, as consultant practitioners. Ofsted inspections from January 2021 – guidance for members Introduction On 6 January 2021, the secretary of state announced that the minimum standards for remote learning would be ‘strengthened’ and that they ‘…will be enforced by Ofsted’. Ofsted monitoring inspections will now take place remotely until half term, following a U-turn by the watchdog. [2] The Education (Investigation of Parents’ complaints)(England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/1089) define the ‘prescribed description’ for a qualifying complaint as being about one or more of the following areas: the quality of the education provided in the school; how far the education provided in the school meets the needs of the range of pupils at the school; the educational standards achieved in the school; the quality of the leadership in and management of the school, including whether the financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively; the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils at the school; the contribution made by the school to the well-being of those pupils. staffing levels, numbers shielding or absent through illness, including TA and support staff cover, your remote learning offer; your rationale for its design within your school; and the adaptations and organisational change that have been necessary according to your school’s circumstances and context. Their future. In fact, Ofsted has recently made it clear that ‘live lessons aren’t always best’, stating “Some think that a live lesson is the ‘gold standard’ of remote education. In all cases, seek advice from NAHT’s helpline (0300 30 30 333 and select option 1)at the earliest opportunity. two days for a school that has been judged to require ‘special measures’. Ofsted said that remote inspections will take place from January 25, focussing on the quality of remote education children will receive. The initial telephone planning conversation should include discussion of the school’s circumstances and context. Pupils and / or staff are operating in strictly defined ‘bubbles’ to prevent transmission. The report emphasises that remote education is a means, rather than an end, to delivering the curriculum and that the quality of teaching is more important than how lessons are delivered. 1. We have also raised serious concerns about inspectors’ abilities and expertise in making such judgements where there is little evidence or consensus about what constitutes effective remote provision. On 17 March 2020, all routine inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. It states: ‘It should be noted that, as is usual practice, we will not be using our deep dive methodology during monitoring inspections.’, No – the operational note states: ‘Inspectors will not evaluate leaders’ actions during the spring and summer terms 2020 but will be interested to understand how the pandemic has affected the school, especially in terms of the pace of improvement.’. Inspectors to be redeployed for 2021 to support establishments/LAs previously graded RI or Inadequate, as consultant practitioners. The assurance inspections were due to start in January 2021. Ofsted should delay inspections until 2021. Ofsted monitoring inspections to be done remotely EB News: 14/01/2021 - 11:29. remotely until after February half term. He went on to say where parents ‘…feel their school is not providing suitable remote education’  they should first raise their concerns with the head teacher or teacher, and ‘failing that report the matter to Ofsted… Ofsted will inspect schools of any grade where it has concerns about the quality of remote education being provided’. Wed 6th Jan 2021, 16.56 . Inspectors moving within the school would breach the school’s risk assessment and covid-secure policies. And, as a minimum, the amount of remote education provided should be for Key Stage 1: 3 hours a day on average across the cohort, with less for younger children; Key Stage 2: 4 hours a day; and Key Stages 3 and 4: 5 hours a day. This guide sets out answers to practical questions about: This advice replaces previous guidance published just before Christmas. Members are advised to contact NAHT’s helpline (0300 30 30 333 and select option 1) for assistance at the earliest opportunity if this is required. Guidance and details of our plans from January 2021 as part of a phased return to full inspection. Full inspections won’t be back until at least April. Ofsted has announced that from 18 January, it will start making monitoring inspections to primary, secondary and special schools and colleges graded inadequate or requiring improvement. You are not currently accepting cookies from this site. The Education (Investigation of Parents’ complaints)(England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007/1089) define the ‘prescribed description’ for a qualifying complaint as being about one or more of the following areas: the quality of the education provided in the school; how far the education provided in the school meets the needs of the range of pupils at the school; the educational standards achieved in the school; the quality of the leadership in and management of the school, including whether the financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively; the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils at the school; the contribution made by the school to the well-being of those pupils. one day for schools previously judged as ‘requires improvement’ or to have ‘serious weaknesses’. As we reported last week, these inspections are only for ‘inadequate’ and some ‘requires improvement’ schools from January. The inspectorate had been due to begin in-person monitoring inspections of schools from next week. An operational note for carrying out inspections in state-funded schools from January 2021. The DfE has issued guidance on the number of hours of remote learning that should be provided each day, by phase. In all cases, seek advice from NAHT’s helpline (0300 30 30 333 and select option 1) at the earliest opportunity. Ofsted U-turn moves inspections online until half-term. Ofsted has indicated that inspectors will work flexibly to take account of schools’ individual circumstances and contexts. Ofsted Inspection Plans for 2021 . Members are advised to contact NAHT’s helpline (0300 30 30 333 and select option 1) for assistance at the earliest opportunity, if this is required. From January 2021, we will carry out assurance inspections under the education inspection framework (EIF). “ supportive ” monitoring inspections will look the new ‘ lockdown ’ recorded or directed. 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