The Education Inspection Framework (EIF) details how schools are to be inspected from September 2022.
There are two types of inspections:
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Graded (formerly Section 5)
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Ungraded (formerly Section 8)
In a graded inspection the following areas are focused on:
Quality of Education
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3+ deep dives including early reading in primary
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3 to 5+ deep dives in secondary
Personal Development
Behaviour and Attitudes
Leadership and Management
Overall Effectiveness
Early Years – where appropriate
6th Form – where appropriate
Safeguarding
Each area is evaluated to either be – outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate. The evaluation for quality of education is major and impacts on the overall effectiveness judgement.
The majority of inspections carried out are ungraded inspections. The purpose of these inspections is to confirm whether a school remains good or outstanding.
In an ungraded inspection the following areas are focused on:
Quality of Education
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3+ deep dives including early reading in primary
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3 to 5+ deep dives in secondary
Safeguarding
Four spotlight areas:
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Behaviour
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Gaming and off-rolling
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Pupils’ wider development
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Workload
In an ungraded inspection each area is not evaluated as in a graded inspection.
The outcome is one of a possible four:
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Outcome 1 – the school continues to be a good/outstanding school.
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Outcome 2 – the school was previously judged to be good and it remains so, and there is sufficient evidence of improved performance to suggest that it might have been judged outstanding if it had received a graded inspection instead of an ungraded inspection. The school will be informed that its next inspection will be a graded inspection, which will typically take place within 1 to 2 years of the publication of the ungraded inspection report.
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Outcome 3 – the lead inspector is not satisfied that the school would have received at least its current grade if it had received a graded inspection instead of an ungraded inspection. The school will be informed that its next inspection will be a graded inspection, which will take place within the statutory timeframe
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Outcome 4 – the lead inspector has gathered evidence that suggests that the good or outstanding school may now be inadequate in one or more of the graded judgements under a graded inspection, and there are serious concerns about the quality of education, pupils’ behaviour or safeguarding. The ungraded inspection will usually be deemed to be a graded inspection, usually within 48 hours. Alternatively, for outstanding schools only, there are concerns that the school’s performance could be declining to ‘requires improvement’. Again, the ungraded inspection will usually be deemed to be a graded inspection, usually within 48 hours
Schools are informed they are to be inspected on the day before the inspection is due to begin.
The first part of the inspection is a detailed telephone discussion with the headteacher on the day before the inspection begins.
This is in two parts:
Part 1
Context and challenges
Curriculum, including strengths, weaknesses; teaching and standards; progress since previous inspection; subjects, year groups, phases including timetables
Specific areas of the school that should be focused on during the inspection and their timetable implications
Behaviour and attitudes and personal development
Part 2 – logistical and practicalities for the inspection
Across the inspection evidence is gathered through: discussions with senior leaders, subject leads, class teachers, pupils, parents and governors; lesson visits; parent, pupil and staff surveys; book looks; school website; IDSR; relevant documents including statutory policies.
At the end of the inspection the team lead will inform senior leaders as to how each area has been evaluated and agree the areas for improvement (AFIs) for the school.
Writing the report is the responsibility of the lead inspector. The text of the report should explain the evaluation and reflect the evidence. The findings in the report should be consistent with the feedback given to the school at the end of the inspection.
In most cases the draft inspection report is sent through to the school within 18 working days. The school will have five days to respond and request any amendments. Until the inspection report is finalised and on the Ofsted website the outcomes can only be shared with senior leaders and the governing body/academy council.
The final report is typically ready within 30 working days after the end of the inspection and uploaded onto the Ofsted website. It is at this stage that all staff within school can be informed of the outcomes. At that point schools must ensure that the report is available and accessible for all parents and carers.