The advice has been written by the head of Ofsted’s
research team, Professor Daniel Muijs, and draws on
findings from
Ofsted’s interim visits, as well as wider sources. It
sets out some common myths about remote education and
counters them with evidence-based pointers. The guide has
been designed to help schools and colleges deal with some
of the difficulties and challenges they face under current
circumstances.
The guide sets out that the remote education curriculum
should be aligned to the classroom curriculum as much as
possible, and carefully sequenced to ensure pupils obtain
the building blocks they need to move on to the next step.
It suggests that whether learning is delivered through
worksheets, textbooks, or via an online platform, it is a
good idea to keep resources simple and straightforward to
use. And feedback and assessment are still as important
remotely as they are in the classroom.
From 18 January, Ofsted will resume monitoring
inspections of schoolsjudged to be inadequate at their
previous inspection, as well as some schools graded
‘requires improvement’. Monitoring inspections look at the
progress a school is making and encourage improvement.
Unlike full inspections, they do not result in a grade.
Inspectors will look at how well schools are educating
pupils in the current circumstances – which for most pupils
means being educated remotely. Unlike during the first
lockdown last year, the government has set a clear
expectation that schools must provide remote education, so
pupils can continue to learn away from the classroom.
Inspections will be carried out in line with the operational note
published in December. A new framework for inspecting
remote education is not required, as inspectors will be
looking at it as part of the overall quality of education.
Inspectors will consider the school’s remote learning
provision, to give reassurance to parents. They will also
consider any complaints made by parents about remote
education, to help resolve issues and make sure children
are being well-served. If parents feel their child’s school
is not providing suitable remote education, they should
first raise their concerns with the teacher or headteacher.
If issues are not resolved, they can report the matter to
Ofsted.
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:
Children and learners have lost a lot of education over
the past year and there are understandable concerns, not
least from parents, about how well children will learn
during this lockdown.
So I’m pleased there are now clear requirements for
remote education – something I have called for throughout
the pandemic. Teachers, Heads and other school staff are
working incredibly hard to keep education going and I
hope they find our short guide useful.
It’s important in these challenging times that we return
to our work in a constructive way. So we won’t be grading
schools this term, but our inspections will consider how
well children are being served, in order to provide
reassurance to parents.
Monitoring inspections will be carried out in a
proportionate way and appropriate to current restrictions.
Inspectors will adhere to the required social distancing
measures and other public health guidance. Ofsted is also
arranging for inspectors to be tested for coronavirus
before face-to-face visits.
