Ofsted said the changes are intended to “reduce the burden on school leaders” and allow “more time and flexibility for inspectors to get to know the school, including its context and priorities”.
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver unveiled the plans during his address at the National Association of Head Teachers’ annual conference.
It means that as of September this year, inspectors will no longer conduct deep dives during ungraded inspections – a move which will affect around 3,000 ungraded inspections planned for next year (an estimated 40% of all inspections due next year).
The change, Ofsted acknowledged, has been driven by feedback from small primary schools, which have found the deep dives particularly challenging due to the strain they put on small teaching teams. However, the new approach will benefit all schools.
Speaking at the NAHT conference, which took place in Newport over the bank holiday weekend, Sir Martyn said: “It isn’t right, and it isn’t helpful to try to cram all the detail of a full, graded inspection into an ungraded one. Instead, we want ungraded inspections to feel more like monitoring visits.
“Removing the deep dives from September will allow for a proper conversation between professionals about the school's strengths and its areas for improvement. Not a rushed dig into every detail.”
Ungraded inspections are designed to check on standards in schools graded good or outstanding. In a statement this week, Ofsted said that while the inspection framework will remain unchanged, instead of deep dives “inspectors will typically use extended learning walks to consider the impact of the curriculum and pupils’ personal development”.
Safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance will continue to be evaluated in the same way. The statement added: “The lead inspector’s initial phone call will focus on getting to know the school, its context, priorities and progress since the previous inspection. There will then be more space for school leaders to help shape the inspection plan and ensure it is focused on the right things.”
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said that it was a “welcome and positive move”. He added: "NAHT has long argued that the deep dive approach is not well suited to primary schools, and especially small primary schools, and we are pleased Ofsted has listened. We hope this is the start of an on-going process of reform when it comes to how schools are inspected.”
It comes as Ofsted’s consultation – the Big Listen – is due to run until the end of May. It is part of the inspectorate’s on-going reforms in response to the outcry over its role in the suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry following the inspection of her school.
The inquest into Ruth Perry’s death ruled that the 2022 inspection of her school “lacked fairness, respect and sensitivity”, was at times “rude and intimidating”, and had “contributed” to her suicide.
Changes introduced so far include mental health training for all inspectors, new procedures to allow inspections to be paused and of “rapid returns” to schools judged “inadequate” due solely to ineffective safeguarding, and changes to complaints procedures.
Ofsted says it has received more than 15,000 responses so far and will assess these over the summer. It has promised to announce “further measures” in the autumn.
- Ofsted Big Listen: www.gov.uk/ofstedbiglisten