Parents want more frequent Ofsted inspection, poll suggests
1,067 parents responded to a YouGov poll, which was conducted on behalf of Ofsted, with 70 per cent saying they think inspections should take place every one or two years regardless of the previous inspection grade.
Under the current system, introduced from September 2015, schools rated as ‘good’ will be subjected to shorter one day inspections every three years. This replaced longer visits every three to five years.
Schools that ‘require improvement’ are inspected every two years, and those deemed ‘inadequate’ are assessed again within three to six months.
Nicole Ponsford, a mother and co-founder of TechnoTeachers, a global ed-tech consultancy, said: “Many parents are happy with their school choices and the progress their children make, but what if you aren’t? What if both the leadership team and board of governors are not accessible. Who do parents turn to then?
“Ofsted is a way that parents can be given a voice in education, when the school isn’t welcoming.”
Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “Parents usually know more about how good their school is than an inspector does after a day’s visit. They should be wary of attaching too much weight to these judgements. More frequent inspections would distract schools from the core work of teaching.”
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