Ofsted suspends all routine inspections

The Education Secretary has allowed Ofsted to temporarily suspend all routine inspections of schools, alongside that of further education and early years providers.

However, urgent inspections where specific concerns have been raised can still go ahead., enabling the inspectorate to prioritise the immediate safety of children where necessary. All Ofsted Inspectors, predominantly serving headteachers who undertake inspections on the department’s behalf, have returned to their schools.

Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said: “I’m grateful for the Secretary of State’s permission to suspend routine inspections. It’s clearly the right thing to do when teachers and social workers are under pressure as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. We all need to support them in their work.

“We will monitor what’s happening across education and social care and we will reserve the right to inspect where we believe the safety of children could be at risk, or we have other serious concerns. We will also continue to register and regulate social care providers, childminders and nurseries, so that these vital services can continue to support children and their families.”