The government recently announced it is scrapping Ofsted’s one or two-word grades with immediate effect, promising to replace them with report cards that provide a broader overview of a school. On the same day, an independent learning review for Ofsted also set out a number of recommendations that it has agreed to implement. Richard Clutterbuck, Head of Strategic Relations at Bromcom, summarises the most significant Ofsted reforms schools should be aware of and explains how they can best prepare for their next inspection…

A fairer judgement and grading system

The new Labour government has pushed ahead with its reform agenda by scrapping single headline Ofsted judgements for schools with immediate effect. Getting rid of the controversial grading system is the most notable change. While inspectors will continue to inspect schools in the same way, instead of providing headline grades, they will create a report card. Due to be introduced in September 2025, they will describe what inspectors have found and it is aimed to provide parents with a more comprehensive overview of a school’s performance.

The change should result in a fairer judgement of schools and enable parents to probe schools better and find the right school for their child, and ease the considerable stress associated with a one or two-word judgement. Some also argue a more nuanced report that covers multiple areas will hold schools to greater account, particularly as the top-rated ones will not be able to ‘hide’ behind a grade which doesn’t mention areas for improvement.

Ofsted is putting in place several other changes, including introducing an ‘Ofsted academy’ to train staff and ensure all inspectors conduct inspections in a professional way with empathy and respect, and better scrutinise how schools meet the need of vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.

It is also pausing the publication of reports where safeguarding concerns are noted at high-performing schools to give schools an opportunity to correct the issues and is now only giving schools notice of an inspection on a Monday so headteachers will know by Monday afternoon if there will be an inspection that week.

Ofsted is setting up six national hubs, each focusing on a different area of its work, to replace its regional model which has led to inconsistencies and will now always include external sector representatives during their complaints process to ensure all complaints are handled fairly.

Are you ready for your next Ofsted inspection?

Although these reforms are an overdue shift in the right direction, there are still plenty of areas that need to be addressed, principally the fear associated with Ofsted inspections along with the inconsistency of judgement among inspectors.

Although Ofsted’s reports will change, inspections will not. You still must provide them with plenty of data on the spot including records, data, and analysis of areas like attendance and behaviour. Schools will need to have the capability to pull the data as the inspectors request it, drill down into it, and instantly react to any questions they ask.

This is where tools such as a management information system (MIS), will be so valuable to provide this data instantly. In general, it also makes running a school and supporting its students much easier, by streamlining processes and giving staff more time to focus on them. Opting for a cloud-based solution means you can use the MIS on the move around the school or elsewhere, and it brings together all the functionality you need in one place, saving users from switching between apps and systems to carry out their tasks.

Data can help with the heavy lifting

Many schools and academies have shared that having a central data hub has ensured that all key stakeholders have access to the same data and insights, which enables them to share consistent, accurate answers with inspectors and confirms they are providing sufficient support to the academy in question. With these reforms, the government aims to make inspections more powerful, and a more transparent tool for driving school improvement.

Although these changes are a step towards changing the culture of Ofsted from regiment to a more supportive form of accountability, there are still plenty of areas that need to be addressed, namely the fear associated with Ofsted inspections and the inconsistency of judgement among inspectors. Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of National Association of Headteachers has said that “there is much work to do now in order to design a fundamentally different long-term approach to inspection.” Schools, MATs, and technology providers will need to work closely over the coming months, to ensure that they are best prepared for the reforms.

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