Ofsted
What does OFSTED stand for?
OFSTED stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.
What are the main responsibilities of OFSTED?
OFSTED is responsible for:
The inspection and regulation of educational institutions including independent schools, state schools, academies and childcare facilities
The inspection of agencies responsible for adoption, fostering and other social care services
The inspection of other services for children and young people
Carrying out research on education and social care
Reporting on the above institutions and relaying the information to the government
Although OFSTED is a non-ministerial department of the UK government and reports to Parliament, it is independent and impartial.
The removal of ‘one word’ judgements
From September 2024, schools undergoing ‘graded’ (Section 5) inspections will receive a grade for each of the main judgement areas:
quality of education;
behaviour and attitudes;
personal development;
leadership and management
What happens during an OFSTED inspection?
The most important aspect of an OFSTED inspection is class observation. The inspectors will sit in on lessons and gather evidence in order to help them gauge a school’s rating.
Other inspection methods used by OFSTED include:
Communicating with pupils and teaching staff about the school
Taking into consideration school evaluations undertaken by local authorities
Meeting with the headteacher and senior staff members in order to discuss their findings and provide oral feedback
After the inspection OFSTED will:
Write a full report on the findings of their inspection
Send this report to the school in order to receive feedback
The completed report is then published by OFSTED within twenty eight days of the inspection
The school is required by law to provide a copy of the report to the parents of all pupils.