I welcome the Public Accounts
Committee’s recognition of the vital role that
Ofsted plays in our education system.
As with all of the public sector, we have had to do more
with less. However, I remain confident that our
inspections provide parents, schools and the government
with the assurance they need about school standards and
that we do so in a way that compares very favourably in
terms of quality and value for money with school
inspection regimes internationally.
However, as I said at the hearing, we have reached the
limit in terms of being able to provide that level of
assurance within our current funding envelope. That is
why, with our ongoing framework review, we are looking at
how to ensure that schools and parents get everything
they need from our reports, and why many of the
committee’s recommendations are already long in train.
I understand that the committee is disappointed that I
would not be drawn into giving my views on some wider
issues in the sector. My role is to provide Parliament
and the Secretary of State with an evidence-based
appraisal of educational standards. It would be
irresponsible of me to make comment on those areas where
we do not have clear evidence of the impact on standards
or young people’s wellbeing.
Where we do have that evidence, be it about the dangers
of illegal unregistered schools, the risks of
radicalisation, the narrowing of the curriculum or the
importance of early literacy, I have not hesitated to
speak out and will continue to do so.
