Commenting on the latest Ofsted inspections and report card
proposals, Natalie Perera, Chief
Executive at the Education Policy Institute
said:
“The need for reform of the accountability system is
clear and Ofsted are right to consider the impact of
disadvantage and inclusion. The current system does not
paint a fair picture of school
effectiveness with schools serving disadvantaged
communities being far more likely to be labelled as
underperforming, and performance measures can act as a
disincentive to be inclusive for all pupils.
“We have long argued for a more rounded accountability system.
Our own measures of performance for school groups illustrate a
potential approach to providing a more nuanced summary of schools
to include pupil outcomes and progression, pupil inclusion, and
workforce and financial management.”
“There will rightly be concerns about the capacity and ability of
Ofsted inspection teams to provide consistent and reliable
judgements across a wide range of measures, given the relatively
limited time that they spend in schools. Both Ofsted and the
Department for Education should consider whether some of these
areas might be better served by the more frequent data
collections that already exist.
“The proposed approach to reporting, with the same type of
judgement in each area, will unfortunately make it relatively
easy for users to combine measures. This risks taking us back to
simple overall judgements, precisely what Ofsted are attempting
to move away from. Schools and academy trusts are complex
organisations, and for most, there will be areas of strength, and
areas where more support may be needed.”
