The inspectorate has today launched a consultation on what its new report card, to replace the existing headline grade, will look like. Plans include bringing in a five-point grading scale from ‘causing concern’ through to ‘exemplary’.
Both the Education Policy Institute (EPI) and National Education Union (NEU) have raised concerns that the grading scale will continue to result in headline judgements.
Natalie Perera, chief executive of the EPI, argued, ‘The proposed approach to reporting, with the same type of judgement in each area, will unfortunately make it relatively easy for users to combine measures. This risks taking us back to simple overall judgements, precisely what Ofsted are attempting to move away from. Schools and academy trusts are complex organisations, and for most, there will be areas of strength, and areas where more support may be needed.’
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said, ‘The proposals outlined in today’s consultation will make matters worse, not better. It will not deliver better information for parents or school leaders.
‘We had high hopes that the removal of one-word judgements would signal a move towards a fairer, more supportive system that better captured the unique context of each school or college. Instead, the 1 to 5 grading scale proposed for the report card maintains the current blunt, reductive approach that cannot capture the complexity of school life nor provide more meaningful information to parents.’
The Early Years Alliance said it is ‘yet to be convinced that the move to a 5-point grading scale is the transformative change that many in the sector were hoping for’.
Chief executive Neil Leitch went on to say, ‘We're clear that any reform of the inspection system must include further steps to ensure a much greater consistency of approach among inspectors - meaning that a setting’s inspection outcome does not depend on the particular inspector they happen to get on the day.
‘As such, it is absolutely vital that today’s consultation marks a genuine opportunity for providers to have their voices heard. This means that, should the sector be opposed to today’s proposals, the inspectorate must be prepared to rethink its plans, rather than charge ahead regardless, and work with the education sector to develop an approach to inspection that truly does work for everyone.’
Similarly, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) stressed how important it is that Ofsted ‘listens to feedback form the sector in order to make the desired improvements to the inspection process.’
The chief executive of London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) nursery group, June O’Sullivan, said she welcomed the move by Ofsted to put inclusion and the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children at the ‘heart of the process.’
She added, ‘The increased focus on SEND provision, local context, and meaningful evaluation of how providers support all children is a vital step forward.’
