Currently schools receive 48 hours’ notice ahead of an Ofsted inspection, however the plans, previously set out by Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw in January, would have meant that schools would have received no warning, bringing them in line with early years settings.
The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has argued that Mr Gove’s back track decision puts nurseries at an unfair disadvantage.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of the NDNA, said, ‘We have always wanted schools and nurseries to be on a level playing field when it comes to notice for inspections. The proposals recently announced by Sir Michael Wilshaw at Ofsted to bring in no notice inspections for schools were welcomed by NDNA, as a step towards making the situation more equitable.
‘We understand that Michael Gove has now indicated that he is looking at the possibility of retaining notice for schools. If schools are to be given notice for inspections we believe the same principle should be applied to nurseries. We do not believe that creating a level playing field would compromise inspections, but rather that it would allow inspections to become more effective.
'With the current system of no notice inspections for nurseries key leadership staff maybe on leave or on training when Ofsted visit, meaning they are unable to have a professional dialogue with inspectors about the quality of the setting.
‘We believe that all early years professionals, regardless of whether they work in a school, nursery school, children’s centre or private or voluntary nursery, should be treated with the same level of respect and therefore receive the same amount of notice for inspections.’
Their thoughts were echoed by Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-School Learning Alliance.
‘We are very disappointed by the education secretary’s apparent U-turn regarding no-notice inspections in schools.
‘Nursery units in schools are given two days’ notice of an Ofsted inspection, whereas the private and voluntary early years settings receive no notice. We cannot understand why there is not universal support for anything other than a level playing field around inspections for all settings.
He added, ‘Surely the purpose of inspection is to capture the school or early years setting under its normal operating environment. It must be obvious to all that to allow a differential in the inspection process could appear to provide a distorted assessment.
‘As we told Ofsted in our response to its recent consultation, we believe that all group settings should have no-notice inspections, without exception.’
Speaking at the National Association of Head Teachers in Harrogate this week, Mr Gove said plans by Ofsted to introduce no-notice inspections from September were likely to be dropped, despite originally welcoming the proposals put forward by Sir Michael Wilshaw in January.
‘People fear that no-notice inspections sends a message that we don’t trust the profession that Ofsted has become an arm of the Spanish Inquisition or Sean Connery’s Untouchables, that they have to be ready to storm in without any notice in order to deal with something that has gone drastically wrong,’
‘That was never the intention. In the process of consultation Michael Wilshaw is clear that he is listening to the profession.’
He added, ‘That is why when we come back after the consultation it will be clear that we have listened to the principle that teachers and heads deserve to have the chance to know when an inspection is coming and to be there in order to present the best face of the school. That message has been heard. Action will follow. In due course the chief inspection will explain how we change how notice is given so we combine efficiency of the inspection regime with fairness to schools.’