Ofsted has today (26 April) published a new strategy for the next
five years.
The strategy sets out how Ofsted will continue its work to
improve the lives of children and young people, which is more
important than ever following the disruption and distress of the
past two years.
The strategy centres on the fundamental principle that Ofsted
will be a force for improvement through the intelligent,
responsible and focused use of inspection, regulation and
insights. It sets out the strategic priorities for Ofsted over
the next five years, which include a stronger focus on the
inspectorate’s work in the early years and ensuring children get
the best start in life.
Ofsted’s recent reports on education recovery
highlighted the serious impact the pandemic has had on some of
the youngest children. Many have gaps in their communication and
language skills and are behind where they should be in their
personal, social, emotional, and physical development.
The early years workforce has also been hit hard. Thousands have
left the sector since the first lockdown in 2020, while those who
have stayed are often struggling to get by on low wages.
There has also been a drop in the number of childcare providers.
At the start of the pandemic there were just over 75,000
registered providers, but that has since dipped below 70,000,
with childminders accounting for the bulk of the reduction.
To play its part in the recovery, the new strategy commits Ofsted
to helping make sure every child’s earliest experience of
education is as good as it can be. It states that Ofsted will use
research and insight to support young children’s physical, social
and wider development, increase training for the inspection
workforce, and promote a better understanding of early education
and care in support of positive change.
Ofsted will also share data and insights about group-owned early
years providers, to improve regulatory oversight at the group
level, and work with government to simplify the regulatory regime
for childminders.
Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said:
“Our strategy for the next five years takes account of the impact
of the pandemic and raises still further our ambitions for
children and learners. Ofsted’s mantra of ‘raising standards,
improving lives’ has never been more important.
“If the past two years have taught us anything then perhaps it is
how resilient people can be, not least the youngest in our
society whose start in life has been challenged in a way we’ve
never seen before.
“We recognise the outstanding work early years providers have
done to help children recover what they missed, and this strategy
aims to increase our support for a workforce that is so deeply
devoted to what it does.
“Whether it is through developing specialist training for our
inspection workforce or through sharing our own insights, we will
do everything in our power to help every child gain the best
start in life.”
The 2022 - 2027 strategy also includes commitments to:
- Accelerate the inspection cycle so that all schools are
inspected by July 2025.
- Allow more time for professional dialogue and
evidence-gathering by increasing the proportion of longer
inspections in education.
- Assess all further education colleges on how well they are
meeting the skills needs of the economy within the next 4 years.
- Enhance inspections of independent schools, so swift
intervention can happen where standards are poor.
- Review social care inspections following the recommendations
of the independent care review.
- Develop and implement a new area SEND inspection framework
that holds the right agencies to account for their role in the
system.
- Work with the Department for Education (DfE) to increase
powers to act when children are educated or cared for in
unregistered settings.
- Improve the diversity of our staff, across grades and roles.
