Ofsted outlines new inspection vision

2018-11-21

School inspectorate Ofsted has detailed the vision for its new inspection programme, revealing how the curriculum will be at its heart.


A set of 24 slides showcases how the organisation intends to assess schools and less focus will be placed on the results achieved by any institution.


Instead, assessments will give greater weight to what is being taught in schools, while the new framework will also cut workload for school leaders and teaching staff.


It looks to ensure that pupils are fully equipped for later study by developing the necessary skills and knowledge at a young age.


Ofsted had warned that performance-tables risked taking precedence to actual learning without a new framework, such was the focus on data.


The new slides point to the curriculum taking centre stage, with the framework assessing three ‘I’s:

Intent, Implementation and Impact.


Not only will inspections look into whether the breadth of the curriculum is learned, but it will also assess if that knowledge is retained over time.


Knowledge must “not sit as isolated information in pupils’ minds”, which echoes a promise made by Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman earlier in 2018.


This relates to concerns that the curriculum is being narrowed in some schools and that others are teaching with only tests in mind.


The exact details for the new framework will follow a consultation period in the 2019 spring term, with a final document due to be ready for the start of the 2019-2020 school year next September.