Ofsted has today (14 September), launched updated guidance for
summary evaluations of multi-academy trusts (MATs).
Summary evaluations look at the extent to which a MAT is delivering high quality
education and improving pupils’ outcomes.
The updates to this guidance ensure that summary evaluations will
mirror the education inspection
framework, introduced in 2019, to focus on the quality of
education as seen through the curriculum. It will also allow us
to increase the volume of summary evaluations, and the breadth of
MATs inspected, so that
we gain better insight into the role of multi-academy trusts.
The evaluations have two stages. During stage 1, batched
inspections of a MAT’s
academies are carried out, and, once all the inspection reports
have been published, the stage 2 summary evaluation takes place.
This is not the same as an inspection and is carried out with the
consent and cooperation of the MAT being reviewed.
Ofsted will consider key information about the MAT, including inspection outcomes,
discussions with MAT
leaders, and survey visits to some of the academies not
previously inspected in stage 1. The aim of the evaluation is to
give the MAT helpful
recommendations on aspects of provision that could be improved,
and to recognise where the MAT is having a positive impact on
the quality of education that its academies provide.
We will select a broad range of MATs for evaluations, including
smaller and specialist MATs, not just those that may be a
cause for concern. This is to ensure that we can gain an accurate
and balanced understanding of the contribution that MATs make to the school system,
highlighting areas of strength that can be shared more widely and
providing insight into any weaknesses.
At the end of the summary evaluation, inspectors will offer oral
feedback on their findings to the MAT’s senior leaders before
publishing a letter on the Ofsted reports website.
Amanda Spielman, Ofsted Chief Inspector said:
Multi-academy trusts form a large part of our educational
landscape and many decisions about the day-to-day running of an
academy take place at trust level. It’s important, therefore,
that we have conversations with the trust about the quality of
education provided across their academies.
By visiting more MATs, we will be able to gain a
better understanding of their contribution to the school
system. And we will be able to share valuable insights and
information that can help the sector improve.
