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Ofsted’s New Inspection Handbook: What You Need to Know and What it Means

NGA’s Deputy Chief Executive, Sam Henson, shares NGA's thoughts on the latest Ofsted changes and what boards need to know about the changes

Blog

18/09/2024

man with his hands clenched together sitting at a meeting

This academic year has already seen big changes in how schools are inspected. Firstly, the immediate scrapping of schools being judged and, many would argue, identified by one or two words, is a game-changing move. NGA commented at the time the news broke that this was indeed a pivotal moment. Then followed Ofsted's response to its Big Listen, both acknowledging the case for change and setting it in motion. At the same time, Dame Christine Gilbert’s independent learning review – commissioned by Ofsted following the tragic suicide of Ruth Perry, set out the need for a new approach to accountability “that lessens the unnecessary pressures” associated with inspection.

These are all positive movements in the right direction, but it is really only the beginning of the reform journey. NGA has already started the academic year by engaging with Ofsted in conversations about what is next, and we will be talking to you directly in the coming months as we look to ensure the enduring legacy and prominence of governance. There is a lot to be done! With the new report cards in development and the wider sector conversations on collectively building what will hopefully be a genuinely new, more supportive and collaborative form of accountability, governance must be as visible and meaningfully placed as possible.

Now, let's focus on the immediate practical changes following the Big Listen response. Ofsted has published its updated school inspection handbook and school monitoring inspection handbook. The new guidance, which came into force on 16 September 2024, outlines several important changes. Read on for a summary of key updates that you need to be aware of!

Headline grades removed

The handbooks now reflect the government’s decision to scrap single headline grades with immediate effect. Instead, reports will now only feature four grades across existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership & management.

The updated guidance also makes clear that schools inspected from this month will no longer be able to display Ofsted judgement logos as these relate to overall effectiveness. Schools inspected previously can continue to use the logos (on websites and banners, for example).

Monitoring threshold

Rather than using headline grades, Ofsted will now monitor schools placed in a ‘category of concern’ such as special measures or serious weaknesses or those rated ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’ in a key judgment area in their latest inspection.

Previously, schools given an overall rating of ‘inadequate’ or twice rated as ‘requires improvement’ were subject to monitoring inspections.

Ungraded inspection focus

Ungraded inspections do not result in individual graded judgements. Ofsted now says these inspections determine whether a school has “taken effective action to maintain the standards” identified at the previous inspection.

The previous handbook focused on whether the school remained the same overall grade as its previous graded inspection.

This is further to changes announced last spring that mean ungraded inspections no longer include ‘deep dives’, in a change “designed to reduce the burden on school leaders and allow more time and flexibility for inspectors to get to know the school, including its context and priorities”.

"These are all positive movements in the right direction, but it is really only the beginning of the reform journey."

A new approach to safeguarding reporting

Ofsted is piloting a new ‘suspend and return’ approach this autumn. If there are safeguarding concerns but the school is performing well in all other areas, inspectors can withhold judgment and return in 3 months to complete the inspection.

This will only be the case if inspectors feel leaders can resolve the issues in that time period. In such cases, Ofsted will send a letter to schools to share with parents about the safeguarding issues identified.

Inspection timing

Schools inspected this academic year will no longer be able to use an overall effectiveness grade to work out when their next inspection will be. Ofsted will set out next inspection dates for these schools in September 2025 – they should not expect to receive an ungraded or graded inspection before then.

Ofsted has included an indication of inspection timing for schools last inspected before this academic year, although there is an acknowledgement that “the picture is now more complicated”. Paragraph 42 of the school inspection handbook provides further information.

The Monday phone call

To reduce anxiety around notification of inspection, Ofsted previously announced that as part of a pilot approach this autumn, it would give school leaders notice of an inspection on a Monday, with an inspection to start on a Tuesday.

The updated handbook points out that the phone call will be after 9.30 am and may come on a Tuesday if the school is open on a week that includes a bank holiday.

Deferrals in a multi academy trust

Last spring, Ofsted set out a new policy for deferring or pausing an inspection. This policy has been updated alongside inspection handbooks and now sets a clear expectation that deferral requests are made jointly by the headteacher and the trust.

We need you

As the frontline of accountability in our education system, governing boards act as a crucial link between schools, communities, and crucially, the central accountability drivers and bodies within the system. The movement in how inspection is framed is a moment to reflect for all boards. We say this because our survey results this year showed that 51% of respondents said Ofsted is the biggest factor influencing practice in your school/trust.

As the sector seeks to pivot away from the ingrained perception that one or two words can, in effect, identify who and what you are, there is a big question for boards to ask themselves – what will Ofsted and inspection mean to you going forward?

In the coming months, of course, it is imperative that governors and trustees maintain a thorough understanding of the changes at Ofsted and its evolving expectations. That is why we have outlined the key changes. However, as mentioned above, we will explore in much more detail over the year how inspection and the new report card mechanism will work. A key part of this is hearing what you, the governance community, think about working with Ofsted. We will, of course, be coming back to those big questions in the coming weeks, so keep a look out for opportunities to contribute to the debate in the coming weeks – we need your voices to be part of the conversation!

A guide to Ofsted inspection

Read our guide to understand what governing boards need to know about inspections.

Sam Henson

Deputy Chief Executive

Sam oversees NGA’s policy, communications and research services, supporting NGA to achieve positive change in the policy of school governance. He is the policy lead for NGA’s work on the governance of multi academy trusts.

View Sam's full profile