The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has today
submitted its formal
response to Ofsted’s consultation on plans to reform
inspections from September.
We have welcomed the inspectorate’s proposals to focus more on
the quality of the curriculum offered by schools and less on test
and exam results. ASCL believes this has the potential to be a
fairer approach to judging schools in general, and particularly
those in areas of high disadvantage where test and exam results
are more challenging and which are therefore unfairly penalised
by the current system.
But we have raised a number of concerns over the planned new
inspection framework. Our main concerns are:
- The
inspectorate should drop its plan to judge schools on how well
they are meeting the government target of three-quarters of
pupils studying Ebacc GCSE courses by 2022. We do not agree that
Ebacc is suitable for every pupil, and the target is unachievable
because there are not enough foreign language teachers to meet
this element of Ebacc.
- The proposal to
scrutinise schools which run a shorter Key Stage 3 must not turn
into de facto prescription that all schools must run a three-year
Key Stage 3 and two-year Key Stage 4. Many schools successfully
run a shortened Key Stage 3 while maintaining a broad and
balanced curriculum.
- Ofsted should
drop plans for on-site preparation on the afternoon prior to
inspection. The reality is that once inspectors are on site, the
inspection has started, and same-day notice inspections will
disrupt the normal running of the school.
- We strongly
disagree with Ofsted’s proposal to refuse to look at a school’s
internal progress and attainment data. While we support efforts
to reduce the amount of data collection carried out in schools,
Ofsted’s proposal goes too far, and would prevent schools being
able to provide evidence of improvement.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said: “Ofsted’s plan to focus on the quality of
the curriculum and fixate less on test and exam results will not
solve all the problems with a system which is too blunt and too
punitive, but it is a step in the right direction and we welcome
this important reform.
“The next step for the government must be to recognise that its
addiction to an excessively stringent accountability system is
not in the best interests of pupils. The language of inadequacy
and failure stigmatises schools, making it harder to secure
improvements, and demoralises communities. We need a more
intelligent and supportive accountability system.”
