It used to be that if your school achieved an ‘outstanding’ outcome from an Ofsted, that it would be a very long time until they returned. In some extreme cases, some children would start school in nursery and go all the way through to finish in Year 6 and never have an Ofsted; this is not good practice and I welcome these new changes with some schools not being seen for more than a decade.
Receiving an ‘Outstanding’ rating is a fantastic achievement for any school, however it should be regularly checked so that the rating does not become devalued. Some schools, after receiving this rating, might relax for a couple years and then improve their academic stance; this is undervaluing both the students, Ofsted and the whole rating system. A statistic that supports this has come from the National Audit Office, showing that only 16 per cent of ‘outstanding’ schools that were inspected last academic year retained their status; is this good?
No Stone Unturned
Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, has said that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that every child can receive a great education. Mr Williamson has stated that there will be a new specialist academy trust opening soon to tackle the most challenging schools in the country, especially with long-term underperformance.
