As routine inspections were paused during 2020 to 2021,
this year’s report does not include the usual performance
data. Instead, it reflects on how we adapted to the
changing COVID-19 restrictions, supporting the sectors we
inspect and regulate as well as the national COVID
response.
Throughout 2020 to 2021, we continued to carry out our
regulatory work and urgent inspections where necessary.
However, with most of our routine work paused, around a
third of our workforce were redeployed to help with the
national COVID response. Some staff were deployed to other
government departments, where they worked on test and
trace, and planning for the return to schools and childcare
providers, among other things. Others were deployed to over
100 local authorities, as well as to multi-academy trusts,
children’s homes and the NHS.
The report also outlines our autumn visits to nurseries,
schools, further education and skills (FES) providers and
children’s social care providers to find out how they were
coping with the disruptions caused by the pandemic. We
produced short narrative reports with no judgements, and
in-depth briefing notes about our findings for parents,
government and the public.
Over three-quarters of the schools we went to said that the
visit helped them to reflect on current plans and move
forward. Feedback to our spring monitoring inspections was
similarly positive – almost all schools we visited said
that they thought our inspections would help them move
forward.
The report also highlights important development work that
continued during the pandemic. This includes the
publication of a new inspection framework for initial
teacher education and ongoing work to develop an approach
to quality assure the early career framework (ECF) and
reformed national professional qualifications (NPQs). We
are also working on a new framework for inspecting special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in
local areas from 2022.
