By Sheila Mckenzie-
Ofsted’s plans to visit schools and write letters is sensible and justified, and should not be obstructed.
Union leaders are campaigning to get Ofsted to reverse their plans to publish letters following scheduled‘visits’ to 1,200 Uk schools during the autumn term this year.
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The schools watchdog announced earlier this year its inspectors would be making ‘visits’ to schools following their return to full education this term.
Ofsted says the interim ‘visits’ are aimed at helping parents and the public understand how schools are returning to their normal curriculum. Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) will phone schools to announce the visit at around 10am on the school day before.
Notice to schools is designed to give inspectors notice to explain the purpose of their visit, discuss the school’s context, establish the protective measures it has in place and arrange who to meet.
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Under Ofsted’s plans, school leaders are allowed to request a deferral of a visit during the notification call with the lead HMI, but are warned to make them before 4.30pm on the day of the call.
Ofsted inspectors plan to discuss any barriers that the school is facing in managing the return to opening fully, how pupils are getting back into expected routines and their behaviour, and the school’s safeguarding arrangements.
Open Letter
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers and Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governance Association, have written an open letter in objection to the watchdog, urging a U turn on the arrangements.
Objectors state that the visit letters will “feel like an inspection report” and “create an extra pressure on schools at a time when they are already juggling many demands”.
However, Ofsted’s objectives should be defended because parents deserve to be furnished with full information about schools. Ofstes responded to the complaints by saying that “suggesting that we should not publish any information at all for parents after a visit to their child’s school is not acceptable”.
The letter states the unions had been in discussions with Ofsted on how best to roll out the autumn ‘visits’ and “felt we had arrived at an appThe watchdog said the aim is to provide parents with information about “what leaders are doing to help pupils back into full-time education.
“Letters will not provide any evaluation or graded judgement,” the guidance states.
The union letter added: “We appreciate that you may view the planned letter as merely a summary of the discussion between inspectors and leaders. But you must understand that a letter written by an Ofsted inspector and published about a school will feel like an inspection report.
“This impression is reinforced by the fact that there is a mechanism for using a visit to trigger a full inspection; the sample of schools to be inspected includes all rated ‘inadequate’; the necessity for a complaints process about the planned letters; and the telling phrase in the sample letter we have seen: “We did not find any serious causes for concern during the visit”.”
The unions say they “cannot see how this approach is of benefit to schools, parents and pupils”.
“It is surely not too much to ask that schools are given at least one term’s grace from Ofsted processes, however framed, so that they can focus on the very demanding job of reintegrating pupils, and we ask you to reconsider your plans,” the letter adds.
Ofasted have resisted the objections of the unions, stating: ”suggesting that we should not publish any information at all for parents after a visit to their child’s school is not acceptable.
.The unions say they advised any letter published following visits should be “confined to advising parents and other stakeholders that a visit had taken place for this purpose”.
Outcome Letter
Ofsted will aim to publish the “outcome letter” in the reports section of its website within 38 working days of the end of the visit, but may delay publication if a complaint is being investigated.
The watchdog said the aim is to provide parents with information about “what leaders are doing to help pupils back into full-time education.
“Letters will not provide any evaluation or graded judgement,” the guidance states.
But the union letter added: “We appreciate that you may view the planned letter as merely a summary of the discussion between inspectors and leaders. But you must understand that a letter written by an Ofsted inspector and published about a school will feel like an inspection report.
Detriment
The unions strongly object to Ofsted’s plans, and feel it would be detrimental to the overall interests and benefits of schools
“It is surely not too much to ask that schools are given at least one term’s grace from Ofsted processes, however framed, so that they can focus on the very demanding job of reintegrating pupils, and we ask you to reconsider your plans,” the letter adds.
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