Updated Ofsted inspection handbooks published

Ofsted has updated its handbook, with information to take effect from the start of the new academic year.

There are updates on COVID-19 now that schools are moving from an emergency response and returning to more usual ways of working. To reflect this, relevant paragraphs regarding temporary COVID-19 measures have now been incorporated into the main sections of each of the handbooks, to make it clear that inspectors will continue to take account of issues that providers may be facing.

When education inspection framework (EIF) was introduced in September 2019 it was recognised that the new focus on the curriculum would mean schools and FE providers might want to change their approach – and would need time to do so.
Transitional arrangements were therefore included within the ‘Good’ grade criteria for the quality of education judgement. These arrangements meant that any school or FE provider that was still in the process of updating its curriculum could receive a good grade, provided other aspects of the provision were good.

The arrangements were originally planned to remain in place until September 2020, but were extended as many settings were forced to re-prioritise their curriculum plans in response to the pandemic.

The transitional arrangements have now been removed from the updated handbooks. In their place, a new grade descriptor has been added to the quality of education judgement, acknowledging that settings are no longer facing emergency measures and are taking longer-term approaches to return pupils and learners to the curriculum they always intended.

This change does not mean that schools and FE providers will now be expected to meet every single handbook criterion to remain good. Inspectors will continue to reach their judgements based on the best-fit approach set out in the handbook. And providers will still be evaluated based on their individual context, taking into account their pupils’ and learners’ specific needs.

The updated school inspection handbook also sees Section 5 inspections now referred to as ‘graded inspections’ and Section 8 inspections of good and outstanding schools called ‘ungraded inspections’. The purpose of each inspection type and how they are carried out remains unchanged. The change in name is simply aimed at promoting a better understanding of the types of inspection Ofsted conducts and why, especially among parents.

The updated further education and skills handbook sets out how Ofsted will enhance its full inspections of further education colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions, from September 2022. This will include a new narrative sub-judgement on how well colleges are contributing to skills needs.