IMMEDIATE

17 October 2014

NUT pressure brings clarification from Ofsted on school inspections

As a result of continued pressure from the NUT in the ongoing Government talks and its workload campaign, Ofsted has published an important document ‘Ofsted inspection – clarification for schools’, outlining what it does not expect schools to do or provide during, or before, inspection.

It states, for example, that Ofsted DOES NOT:

  • require teachers or schools to provide individual lesson plans for inspectors, or previous lesson plans;
  • expect schools to use the Ofsted evaluation schedule to grade teaching, or individual lessons;
  • require schools to undertake a specified amount of lesson observation;
  • expect to see a particular frequency or quantity of work in pupils’ books or folders;
  • expect to see unnecessary or extensive written dialogue between teachers and pupils in exercise books and folders;
  • expect performance and pupil-tracking data to be presented in a particular format.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers’ union said: ‘As a result of continued campaigning by the NUT and the pressure exerted in Government talks we have a clarification from Ofsted about its expectations. The Union will use this to alleviate the dreadful workload and stress that a school inspection places on teachers and heads.

‘However Ofsted is not fit for purpose. It is simply not an appropriate approach to school accountability and is driving many good teachers out of the profession.

‘The NUT believes Governmentshould look to and learn from the 'light touch' accountability systems of high performing countries such as Finland and New Zealand which are predicated on trusting schools and teachers to work professionally for their students. Such an approach, based on trust rather than threats or penalties, would win the support of the profession.

‘Nick Morgan’s recognition in a letter to schools* alerting them to the Ofsted document that it is teachers who are best placed to decide what and how they teach by exercising their professional judgement is certainly a step in the right direction. The Education Secretary also recognises that tackling workload is critical and says that there is more that the DfE can do. The NUT will keep working to ensure that this becomes a reality not an aspiration’.

END pr158-2014

For further information contact Caroline Cowie on 0207 380 4706 or 07879480061

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Editor’s note*

Ofsted document

Letter from Nicky Morgan to schools