"Greater consistency” is needed in school inspections, research shows

Research by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) shows that some schools are being asked to provide evidence which inspectors are not supposed to request.

ASCL leader Geoff Barton is now calling for more consistency with school inspections.

The ASCL survey found that despite Ofsted saying inspections do not require schools to predicts attainment of their pupils or progress score, 62 per cent of respondents stated that they were asked to predict pupil attainment. Forty-seven per cent said they were asked for predicted progress scores.

Ofsted also says it does not require tracking of how pupils are getting on, however, 45 per cent said they were asked for this information.

The research also found that although Ofsted says that its inspectors do not expect “particular frequency or quantity of work in pupil’s books”, 34 per cent were asked to see this type of evidence.

However, there are signs that the situation is improving in the first two of these areas, with about eight per cent fewer respondents reporting such requests in 2017 and 2018, compared to 2016, while the proportion in the third area was broadly similar.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We have to reduce unsustainable and onerous levels of workload in schools because of the impact this burden has on the welfare of staff and on teacher recruitment and retention.

“It seems as if Ofsted is making progress in ensuring that its inspection teams do not make requests for evidence in line with its own myth-busting guidance.

“But in certain key areas, there is clearly some way to go if Ofsted is to show the level of consistency that it would rightly expect from school leaders.”

“It seems as if Ofsted is making progress in ensuring that its inspection teams do not make requests for evidence in line with its own myth-busting guidance.

“But in certain key areas, there is clearly some way to go if Ofsted is to show the level of consistency that it would rightly expect from school leaders.”