Well, that was quite the year (again). This time dominated by the circus in Whitehall, neatly demonstrating that the rules that apply to most workplaces are decidedly absent in the House of Commons. Shame there isn’t an Ofsted for politics; I’d like to see how Leadership and Management would come out: overall effectiveness – ‘inadequate’.
It was interesting to read how Ofsted had downgraded 80 per cent of previously Outstanding schools, with 21 per cent going to Requires Improvement or lower. The number of Outstanding childcare settings has also decreased from 20 per cent to 15 per cent since 2019. There have been a number of statutory changes in this time, but a drop of 80 per cent is not a good indication of a ‘solid’ inspection system.
It appears that Ofsted has lost its way over the past few years. The clarity (love it or loathe it) now appears to be drifting. This is illustrated by its ‘Best Start in Life – pt 1’, criticised for completely ignoring Reception classes and being lazy with its choice of research. Despite tipping its hat to the current predicament of the EY sector, it ignores its responsibility to stand up for children through overlooking the impact of the drop in funding. There comes a point that the demands simply cannot be met with the resources available.
Ofsted outlines its core value as: ‘We put children and learners first, and we are independent, evidence-led, accountable and transparent.’ Should this independence not include a ‘rigorous’ challenge of education policy?
At a time when the sector desperately needs support, an inspectorate should drive improvement by working with the sector rather than in parallel. The impact of a negative inspection judgement results in an exodus of experienced staff who just don’t feel able to carry on. Recruitment is hard because it becomes an unattractive employment option in comparison with much less stressful careers. How does this ‘put children first’?
Ofsted should be the advocate of an adequately funded system and, as an independent body, fully willing to stand up for it. Time for a rethink. How about an inspectorate that enables rather than terrifies – a partnership for improvement? A body that calls out the impact of pitiful funding rates and highlights the complete lack of a strategic plan that helps build a workforce and sector that has something to be proud of, rather than presiding over a slide into mediocrity?