Ofsted announces end of single-word judgements
This week, Ofsted published its response to its largest consultation in history, setting out how it plans to reset its relationship with the sector. One of the major changes includes the move away from single-word judgements, which have been scrapped with immediate effect. This will be replaced by a report card system next September. Until then, schools will continue to be graded in the current sub-judgements of quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
Another key change will see a new education inspection framework (EIF) for schools, early years, and further education, following consultation later in the academic year. The new framework will have a greater focus on pupil outcomes to drive higher standards, whilst introducing rubrics that offer clear criteria for inspections and making the process more collaborative. As the inspectorate seeks to increase scrutiny on how providers are meeting the needs of vulnerable children, there will be a new inspection criterion for inclusion. Reports will also include area insights, which will give parents and carers more information about the quality of schools within the local context.
Moreover, Ofsted will announce all routine inspections on a Monday, with inspections taking place over the following two days. This means school leaders will know by Monday afternoon if they are being inspected that week, reducing the stress of waiting. This new approach will be piloted over the autumn term. If safeguarding concerns are identified in an otherwise high-performing school, inspectors will pause inspection and return within three months to complete it, withholding judgement in the meantime.
Ofsted Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said that whilst the tragic death of Ruth Perry was a catalyst for change, ‘the case for change has been building for years […] many of the changes we are introducing are aimed at reducing the pressure on those we inspect.’ To learn about further changes, read the full consultation outcome here.
★ To help you prepare for inspection, our School Development experts can carry out a Whole School Review to identify strengths and areas for improvement, sharing strategies to help improve your school performance. Contact our team to learn more.
Attainment gap 27% higher in areas with highest segregation
The Sutton Trust has published new research exploring patterns of socioeconomic segregation in the comprehensive school system. Analysis shows that many schools accept fewer proportions of pupils from low-income backgrounds than live in their catchment area, whilst others have much higher levels of disadvantage. The highest levels of segregation were found in the North East and North West, whilst London, the West Midlands, and the South West had lower levels of segregation on average.
Crucially, researchers discovered that socioeconomic segregation is correlated with attainment gaps between richer and poorer pupils. The English and maths attainment gap was 27% higher in areas with the highest segregation. Researchers argue this leads to a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy of middle class parents and more experienced teachers being attracted to higher performing schools with less challenging intakes.’
The charity encourages schools to make admission policies fairer by including pupil premium pupils in oversubscription priority criteria. Alternatively, a system of ballots or banding could be introduced to ensure a school’s intake is more representative across the socioeconomic spectrum. Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, says measures must be taken ‘to ensure that all state schools take a mix of pupils which reflect their local community [which will] make a significant difference to social cohesion.’
★ Our School Development team has a proven track record of improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. We can carry out a review of your Pupil Premium strategy to evaluate its effectiveness and impact. Get in touch to learn more.
Almost one in three teachers personally provide food to pupils
A survey of 10,000 teachers has found that 28% of teachers across England brought in food for pupils due to welfare concerns over the summer term, rising from 26% the previous year. This is despite 35% of schools already providing food support, a figure that increases to 46% in the most deprived areas of the country.
The survey was commissioned by FareShare, a food redistribution charity that provides food to 2,000 charity and community groups that provide after school, holiday, and breakfast clubs to children and young people. George Wright, CEO of FareShare, says ‘teachers should be focused on educating, not filling the gaps in food provision.’ He urges the new government to collaborate with the food redistribution sector to ensure more nutritious food reaches people in need.
Earlier this year, the King’s Speech announced plans to introduce the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which will make sure there are free breakfast clubs in every primary school. The government has also set up a taskforce to tackle child poverty. Russell Hobby, CEO of education charity Teach First, welcomes the child poverty taskforce, but says ‘schools and teachers have deep insights into causes and solutions of child poverty in their communities, and they should be at the heart of these conversations.’
As we step into a new school year, we’re incredibly excited for the journey ahead and all the opportunities it brings. Each new term comes with its own set of challenges, but One Education will be by your side every step of the way, working together to develop positive solutions and achieve your school goals.
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