Ofsted unveils changes for more ‘positive’ inspections
Greater clarity over inspection timing and quicker revisits of schools failed on safeguarding, but heads warn changes are 'nowhere near enough'
- The current system of “internal reviews” that schools must go through before being able to go to an external adjudicator will be scrapped.
- Leaders will also be given a direct line to a senior inspector on the day after their inspection to flag any concerns or evidence not taken into account. Inspectors will also formally “check” if leaders have issues at specific points during their visits.
- Ofsted has committed to giving leaders greater clarity on when they might be inspected.
- Inspectors will return to schools rated ‘inadequate’ for safeguarding concerns alone within three months of a report’s publication, meaning the school will only have an overall judgement of ‘inadequate’ for a short period.
- Ofsted will also change its reports so that when discussing areas of weakness, they refer to a school, rather than any individuals.
MPs launch inquiry into school inspections’ worth and usefulness
- Inquiry will focus on how useful school inspections are to parents, governors and schools in England.
- MPs will consider how inspections affect the workload and wellbeing of school staff and pupils, and what contribution its reports make on to helping schools improve.
- Many (including the head teachers’ union, the NAHT, feel that the changes announced by Ofsted on Monday are not enough.
- How widespread is the feeling of intense pressure on school leaders and staff linked to Ofsted?
- What is the direct impact of the pressure felt by staff on pupils?
- The Department for Education said it funds the charity, Education Support, to provide wellbeing help for school leaders. That programme will be doubled in size to support an additional 500 heads by March 2024.
Derby school part of three-year European study about LGBT+ education
- The study has been running in England, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands and Spain – and is now nearing the end of its Erasmus funding.
- The project used several methods to help schools teach inclusivity, including students’ views and analysis of different teaching on LGBT+ issues.
- Educating staff has been highlighted as a priority when it comes to best practice.
- The team have also gathered stories from students from the LGBT+ community and allies, which can be used to promote inclusivity.
- Will the findings of the study prompt better training and resources to be made available to schools in England?
Uni marking boycott: DfE suspends teacher trainee degree requirement
Graduates now able to start ITT courses before getting their degree this year after temporary rule change
- Students whose degrees are delayed due to uni marking boycott will now be able to start their initial teacher training (ITT) courses if course providers make sure recruits’ graduate status has been confirmed.
- Will this adequately aid the recruitment of students on ITT courses?
- Will there be issues further down the line if some students don’t obtain their predicted grade? (ITT recruits in receipt of teaching bursaries must obtain a 2:2 or higher grade in their undergraduate degree).
AI could mark pupils’ work and act as a ‘personal tutor’, says education minister
- Baroness Baron states that ministers recognise the dangers of AI but also want to ‘harness its magic’.
- She suggests that AI could be used to: close the attainment gap between rich and poor students by giving disadvantaged children a free ‘personal tutor’, help children with special needs and disabilities learn more intuitively, and ease the administrative burden on teachers.
- Do teachers, leaders and parents agree?
- Do we know enough about how to use AI safely and securely to ‘harness its magic’?
- Last month, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, called for AI to be part of teacher training courses to help staff understand how students are using AI. But what about all those already teaching? Will they receive the necessary training?
Sussex schools forced to close over water shortages
South East Water blames 'very high demand' for tap water, following heatwave
- At least five schools in Sussex were forced to close due to having either no water or low pressure.
- Hundreds of children were learning from home due to the water shortages.
- Problems are also said to be affecting Kent.
- After a scorching summer last year, schools were told to prepare for “extreme heat” as part of emergency planning in updated government guidance.
- How should schools prepare?
Schools forced to close due to ‘crumbly’ concrete ceilings
Four schools told by DfE to shut after finding reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in ceilings
- The potentially dangerous material has been dubbed “Aero-like” by structural engineers amid fears it is “now life-expired and liable to collapse”.
- How many more schools have this used in their buildings? More than 150 have been identified as potentially having RAAC.
- Pupils have had to stay at home and access remote learning – how will this impact their mental wellbeing and academic learning?
Academy trust central team growth has outstripped trust expansion
Many CEOs now lead growing numbers of centrally paid - and sometimes well-paid - senior leaders
- Many central teams are recruiting specialists and providing more services in-house (such as HR).
- Another key benefit of central teams is being able to transmit successful practice from one classroom to another across schools within the trust.
- It is also argued that when tasks are done by a central team, money is saved by not having to duplicate those tasks in individual settings.
- MATs “must describe the types of central services provided to schools during the year”. But they don’t have to include how many people are centrally employed.
- Lines are blurred as to what constitutes a central team.
- Data on the size of teams and effectiveness is hard to get hold of.
- Are some central teams ‘bloated’, meaning senior leaders and subject specialists are receiving wages, taking money that could be spent on pupils?
- Should the government ‘interfere’ and issue guidance on how trusts should operate?
- Or would this undermine the trust movement and prevent trust leads from making the best decisions for their group of schools?