Most school inspections will have at least one inspector on the team with previous experience of working in a similar type of provision, Ofsted announced today.
The shake-up of the school watchdog’s inspection team structure will come in from November, alongside the rollout of school report cards.
The changes are in response to concerns raised in Ofsted’s recent consultation that inspectors “do not always have the necessary expertise or experience in the specific types of provision they inspect”, the inspectorate said.
This can make it “harder for them to understand the context the provider is working in”, Ofsted admitted.
Although not all schools will be inspected by someone with the relevant phase expertise, Tes understands that schools that are not will receive additional quality assurance from an individual with the same phase experience.
Inspections led by HMIs
MPs previously called on Ofsted to ensure that its lead inspectors have “expertise” in the type of school they are inspecting.
This change in inspection team structure will provide ”more insightful, context-aware inspections that will better serve children, learners and education providers”, Ofsted said.
The inspectorate also confirmed that all school inspections will be led by a His Majesty’s inspector (HMI) or an Ofsted inspector with recent HMI experience, once the new inspection system begins.
Currently an Ofsted inspector can lead an inspection without needing HMI experience.
Tes asked Ofsted how many HMIs and Ofsted inspectors this new system will involve, and what Ofsted will consider as “recent” HMI experience.
Steve Rollett, deputy chief executive officer at the Confederation of School Trusts, said it is “welcome that Ofsted are taking the issue of consistency seriously”.
“Having the most experienced inspectors lead inspections should support consistency, which would be a positive step,” he added.
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