By Gavin Mackintosh-
Amanda Spieldsman has hailed Ofsted’s biggest consultation into developing the academic curriculum aimed at bringing out the best in British schools in the Uk.
Soieldman, who is Ofsted’s boss , continues to be a woman of great inspiration and leadership in the affairs of education in the Uk. Ofsted’s latest consultation led to over 15,000 responses and over 100 face-to-face events, evidencing overwhelming support for the ambitious plans set by Ofsted to broadly research the various curriculum standards in primary and secondary schools, with prescribed guidelines and recommendations in relation to important areas.
Ofsted has also been conducting one of its biggest ever pilot inspections across hundreds of education providers in the Uk. Ofsted inspectors have been involved in the wide curriculum research that have included training conferences and running workshops. A five-day training package for inspectors is scheduled for this summer, this will equip all of them to inspect consistently under the new framework.
Spieldsman says the new framework which is about substance and integrity. puts the real substance of education, the curriculum back at the centre of inspection and supports leaders and teachers who act with integrity. The Ofsted boss said the new framework represents an evolution, not a revolution. It re-balances the object of Ofsted’s inspection, taking a broader perspective on issues considered crucial to the educational development of children.
Primary and secondary school education standards in the Uk has risen notably in the last few years as the Department Of Education in conjunction with Ofsted researchers increased the strength of end of year exams in both primary and secondary schools in the last few years. Primary school students in many parts of the Uk were said to have cried in the last two years after feeling helpless in the face of tough end of year Sats exams. But majority of primary school pupils in many primary schools still managed to pass the higher level exams due to better preparations by teachers added to many hours of tuition arranged by parents.
IMPORTANT
Ofsted says the introduction of a quality of education judgement that puts the curriculum at its core; in other words, the education a school offers to all its pupils, is very important.
”For a number of years, the curriculum had only a very small place, under the leadership and management judgement, Spieldsman says and apart from teaching, assessment and standards. Now it is a core part of the first judgement. How well the school curriculum is taught, ordered and structured will be an important aspect of Ofsteds’ curriculum research.
Ofsted has also highlighted the importance of schools incorporating the personal development of pupils as part of their educational development, which also includes influencing the behaviour and attitudes of pupils in general.
Creating a conducive environment for learning has always been an important aspect of learning which many schools in the Uk do not always have. Bullying in schools and all manners of disruptions in class has for decades compromised the quality of education in many primary and secondary schools. Thankfully, there are many strong and persuasive school leaders in the Uk who have succeeded in keeping the overall behaviour of their pupils at a high and respectable level.
Many school leaders struggle with establishing a workable system of discipline that maintains order in schools, but several school leaders have raised the consequences of bad behaviour under their leadership. Suspensions and expulsions have led to criticism from parents and in some cases , the minister of education, Damien Hinds. Considered as a whole, suspensions and expulsions for unacceptable bahaviour contributes to influencing pupils as a whole to respect the authority of the school, and respond positively to its policies.
While it is for school leaders to make sure that good teaching is happening every day, the governing body has a strategic role in making sure the curriculum meets the needs of all children in a school. That obviously includes children with special educational needs and disabilities. Coherent sequencing and good teaching of the curriculum is an important skill Spieldsman wants to see applied in every school, especially when dealing with children with special educational skill,
is taught and how it is taught have a profound impact on them. For many, learning can be really hard
That’s why the curriculum conversation needs to be about all children, not just the ones who will move smoothly through. Inspectors will be considering very carefully throughout inspection which children benefit from the school’s curriculum and which children miss out. Is it always the same children?