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Ofsted: Accountability — [Ian Paisley in the Chair]
08 June 2022
Lead MP
Julian Sturdy
York Outer
Con
Responding Minister
Robin Walker
Tags
EmploymentForeign AffairsParliamentary ProcedureLocal Government
Word Count: 11464
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Julian Sturdy raised concerns about ofsted: accountability — [ian paisley in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The MP asks the Minister to clarify to whom Ofsted is accountable and whether there can be mechanisms for independent review beyond legal action, such as a safety mechanism allowing the Secretary of State to order reinspection or an independent review.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The MP is concerned about the accountability of Ofsted and how schools can challenge its decisions. He highlights a survey receiving nearly 2,000 responses raising issues such as the lack of context in inspections, unprofessional conduct by inspectors, rigid criteria, and inadequate complaints processes. The Naburn Church of England Primary School's experience with an 'inadequate' rating after a long gap since the last inspection is used to illustrate these concerns.
Daniel Poulter
Con
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Daniel Poulter highlighted the challenges faced by Thomas Mills High School in his constituency, which was downgraded to inadequate despite being outstanding before and during the pandemic. He pointed out that the school's safeguarding issues led to a global downgrade, affecting its future management as it may be asked to join a larger academy trust. Poulter also discussed the difficulties schools face in attracting high-quality governors and trustees with necessary skills for modern challenges like mental health support. Mr Poulter questioned the extent to which Ministers can influence Ofsted's operations through regular meetings, implying a need for clearer accountability mechanisms within Ofsted.
Daniel Poulter
Con
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
My hon. Friend raised concerns about the length of the gap between the 2007 inspection and the more recent one for Thomas Mills High School.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon expressed concerns about the stress and disruption caused by Ofsted inspections on teachers, schools, and pupils in Northern Ireland. He highlighted that legal challenges are often the only recourse for challenging inspection conclusions, suggesting a need for alternative mechanisms. Shannon also pointed to issues regarding the impact of poverty and cost-of-living pressures on children's learning and the additional burdens placed on teachers during inspections. Refers to the impact of Ofsted inspections on teachers, suggesting that feedback from teachers indicates a more complex situation than what the Minister's figures suggest. He also highlights the importance of sensitivity towards children with special educational needs during inspections. The hon. Member for Portsmouth South pointed out that the debate is timely, given Ofsted's 30th anniversary.
Stephen Morgan
Lab
Portsmouth South
Mr Morgan highlighted the concerns about Ofsted's impact on schools and teachers, noting that over 210,000 pupils are in inadequately performing or requiring improvement schools. He stressed that the inspection framework contributes to a recruitment crisis with only one teacher recruitment target met in the past decade. The shadow Schools Minister called for fundamental reform of Ofsted to support school improvement more effectively and proposed practical steps like recruiting new teachers and investing in professional development.
Government Response
Robin Walker
Government Response
It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Paisley. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Julian Sturdy) and other colleagues who have spoken today and brought up individual cases. The debate is timely given Ofsted's 30th anniversary. This period in Ofsted's history has added significance with the resumption of routine graded inspection programmes taking place at the start of this academic year after a period of disruption caused by the pandemic.
Ofsted plays a critical role in providing independent assurance to parents, the Government and Parliament that children are receiving the best possible education and are safe. The inspectorate has maintained its independence while complying with various government rules such as those on equality objectives and annual reporting. Ofsted's accountability mechanisms include direct responses to parliamentary correspondence, appearances before Select Committees, and regular meetings with the Secretary of State.
The Government's arrangements for Ofsted also provide a separate line of accountability through the statutory board, which monitors targets and ensures the efficiency and effectiveness of its work. Independence is crucial for Ofsted's credibility and value. While inspections can sometimes result in difficult messages for individual schools, colleges, and other providers about the quality of their provision, independent inspection provides undeniable benefits for pupils, parents, staff, and leaders.
Ofsted's post-inspection surveys indicate that nine in 10 responding schools are satisfied with the way inspections were carried out. The majority feel that the judgments made by Ofsted are justified based on evidence collected and agree that the inspection will help them to improve further. However, there is a balance to be struck when it comes to workload impact on teachers and leaders.
Complaints about inspections are rare; in 2018-19, 1.8% of inspection activity led to formal complaints being received. Ofsted's improvements to its complaints procedures include allowing providers to submit comments on their draft reports before the final report is issued. If a provider remains dissatisfied after an internal review, they can pursue a judicial review or complain to the independent adjudicator appointed by the Secretary of State.
The Department recognises the importance of rural schools and has doubled funding for sparsity factor from £42 million in 2021-22 to £95 million this year. The Government have increased expectations for schools, including those previously exempted under the outstanding grade framework, to ensure up-to-date assessments of educational quality.
In response to specific cases raised by hon. Members, I will raise concerns with Her Majesty's chief inspector and work closely with local authorities and sponsors to support improvements in struggling schools such as Naburn Primary School.
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