Subject deep dives scrapped for ungraded inspections

Ofsted has said it will stop subject deep dives during ungraded inspections from September, in a speech at the NAHT conference.

Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said: "It isn’t right and it isn’t helpful to try to cram all the detail of a full, graded inspection into a shorter ungraded one. Instead, we want ungraded inspections to feel more like monitoring visits."

Sir Martyn continued: "Removing the deep dives from September, will allow for a proper conversation between professionals about the school’s strengths, and its areas for improvement. Not a rushed dig into every detail."

It means that over 40% of the school inspections planned the next academic year will no longer have deep dives.

Subject deep dives were introduced by Amanda Spielman in 2019 to increase focus on the quality of what is taught in schools.

However they were criticised by school leaders, particularly for the burden put on small primary schools.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said: “The removal of deep dives from section 8 inspections is a welcome and positive move.

"NAHT has long argued that the deep dive approach is not well suited to primary schools, and especially small primary schools, and we are pleased Ofsted has listened.

"We hope this is that start of an ongoing process of reform when it comes to how schools are inspected.”