Nursery World - Changing room for inspections

By Maurice Smith, director of early years at Ofsted The future of school inspection in England is likely to change dramatically from 2005 onwards. It may change in frequency - reduced from six to three years. It may change in scope - offering a much lighter touch, using fewer inspector days, and being proportionate in its approach to inspecting schools depending on success/risk. It may offer little or no notice to schools in advance of their inspection. And reports may be shorter, provide less detail, and take more account of school's own self-evaluation and self-assessment.

The future of school inspection in England is likely to change dramatically from 2005 onwards. It may change in frequency - reduced from six to three years. It may change in scope - offering a much lighter touch, using fewer inspector days, and being proportionate in its approach to inspecting schools depending on success/risk. It may offer little or no notice to schools in advance of their inspection. And reports may be shorter, provide less detail, and take more account of school's own self-evaluation and self-assessment.

What has this got to do with early years? Perhaps I could illustrate with a semi-detached house. The roof, the over-arching safeguard, is filled with the principles outlined in the new Children's Bill. On the left-hand side are changes in the future of school inspection - frequency, scope, notice, and shorter, less-detailed reports taking into account the self-assessment and self-evaluation.

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