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New Ofsted framework focuses on "substance and integrity"
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Jan 16, 2019By Rachel Lawler
Ofsted has opened a on proposals for changes to the education inspection framework, due to come into effect from September 2019.
The proposed inspection framework is said to focus on what children learn, rather than 鈥減erformance data鈥.
Ofsted this is in response to its research, which found that early years staff feel under pressure to spend time on paperwork, rather than focusing on spending time 鈥渞eading to children or playing with them鈥.
It says that the new framework will aim to address this problem, with a new focus on whether children are being offered a 鈥渞ich curriculum鈥 and how well it is taught.
Consultation and feedback
Ofsted says it spend more than a year researching for the proposed framework, hosting engagement events and speaking with stakeholders. It has also been tested in a number of pilot inspections.
More events and pilot inspections are planned throughout the consultation, which is open until 4 April 2019.
The new inspection handbooks and final framework are due to be published in summer 2019.
Quality of education
Key changes in the proposed framework include:
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a new 鈥渜uality of education鈥 judgement
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looking at children鈥檚 outcomes in context, and whether or not they are the result of a well-deliver, coherently-planned curriculum
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separate judgements about children鈥檚 鈥減ersonal development鈥 and 鈥渂ehaviour and attitudes鈥
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no longer using internal performance data as inspection evidence, to ensure inspection does not create 鈥渦nnecessary work鈥
Strong outcomes
Speaking at a launch event with the Sixth Form College Association today, Amanda Spielman, chief inspector at Ofsted, will say: 鈥淭he new quality of education judgement will look at how providers are deciding what to teach and why, how well they are doing it and whether it is leading to strong outcomes for young people.
鈥淭his will reward those who are ambitious and make sure that young people accumulate rich, well-connected knowledge and develop strong skills using this knowledge.鈥
Spielman will add: 鈥淭wo words sum up my ambition for the framework: substance and integrity.
鈥淥fsted is committed to making sure that any changes to the inspection framework and approach are fair, reliable and valid.鈥
Positive step
Michael Freeston, director of quality improvement at the 无码天堂, commented: "We welcome the proposed early years inspection framework, which is a real positive step in the right direction.鈥
However, he added: 鈥淯nfortunately, with the review of the Early Learning Goals and the proposed re-introduction the baseline assessment, it鈥檚 clear current government policy is at odds with this position. Our concern is that, until those differences are reconciled, there鈥檚 a real danger that providers will be caught between being inspected on how their children learn and delivering against an increasingly narrow understanding of what should be taught.鈥
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