Ofsted launches Big Listen consultation for the education and care sectors
by Jess Gibson
The Big Listen, a wide-ranging consultation inviting input from education and care professionals, was launched by Ofsted on Friday 8 March.
The consultation is framed around four key priorities 鈥 reporting, inspection practice, culture and purpose, and impact 鈥 with Ofsted stating that it is structured to allow respondents to provide feedback on the areas 鈥渙f greatest interest and importance鈥 to them.
First announced by Ofsted in January following a report into headteacher Ruth Perry鈥檚 death, the Big Listen will run for 12 weeks, closing on 31 May 2024.
Ofsted states that it aims to put the interests of disadvantaged children at the centre of reforms. As part of this, the inspectorate plans to launch a consultation strand that is specifically aimed at disadvantaged children 鈥 including those in the care system 鈥 later this month.
Alongside the online consultation, independent organisations will carry out surveys and focus groups with parents and professionals to gather their views on Ofsted鈥檚 direction moving forward.
Ofsted expects that the results of the consultation will be published later in the year.
An Ofsted spokesperson said:
鈥淲e inspect and regulate early years providers first and foremost in the interests of children 鈥 looking in depth at how well, and safely, early years settings are run. But, we aim for all of our work to be carried out professionally and sensitively, with careful regard for their impact on staff.
"We have already made several positive changes over the last year, and are continuing to look at how we can make further improvements to the way we work. We want to encourage as many people as possible to take part in our , to help inform our future direction and make sure all children have the best possible education, care, and life chances. If your work, your children, your education or your care are impacted by what we do, we want to hear from you.鈥