Schools
At the end of September, Ofsted published details about the new school inspection framework. This month, we have also launched the new Parent View website, where parents can complete a survey about schools. The questions have been carefully chosen to cover those issues that parents have told us are the most important to them.
In this edition, you can read children's views about the inspection of welfare in residential and boarding schools and find out about our new arrangements for inspecting these schools. We also take a look at best practice in safeguarding children in schools and meet a headteacher who is managing two schools. There is a good practice case study and inspection updates, which we hope you find useful.
News
The shape of school inspection from 2012 - With a sharper focus on the judgements that matter most; even more time spent in the classroom, and a continued drive on raising standards, especially in reading, Ofsted has published details of how the inspection of maintained schools will change from January 2012.
A new voice for parents - Ofsted has launched Parent View, a new online questionnaire that will allow parents and carers to give their views on their child’s school at any time of the year. We hope headteachers will use Parent View to better understand the views of their parents.
Children’s Book Week - We looked back at two Ofsted reports: Reading by six: how the best schools do it and Excellence in English to mark Children’s Book Week, between 3 and 9 October. The Week is a national celebration of reading for children of primary school age.
No-notice inspections for welfare provision at boarding and residential special schools as Ofsted introduces a new inspection model - Boarding and residential special schools are to have unannounced, no-notice inspections when welfare is inspected separately from education.
All schools can provide a safer environment for children - There is no reason why good practice in safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare should not be a feature of every school, according to an Ofsted report published in September.
Federated schools see improved outcomes - In a survey of federations where schools have joined together to raise standards, improvements have been seen in the three key areas of teaching and learning, behaviour and pupils’ achievement, according to a report launched by Ofsted in September.
European Day of Languages - We highlighted the findings of our report, Modern languages – Achievement and challenge 2007-10, for the European Day of Languages on 26 September. The Day aims to show Europeans how important languages are and how enjoyable and useful learning a language can be.
Children audit Ofsted's inspection of social care - Children living in residential special schools and boarding schools have given their views about Ofsted inspection in the report Social care inspection: the children’s audit.
Ofsted's letter to the Independent - Ofsted wrote to the Independent to clarify that we will inspect Free Schools.
Official statistics: Independent school inspections and outcomes, including regulation compliance - This quarterly release comprises commentary, charts and tables in pdf format, charts and tables in Excel format, and the underlying data in Excel and comma separated values (.csv) format.
Features
Sharing leaders to improve schools - Alongside our report on leadership of federated schools, we spoke to one headteacher of a federation, Peter Beaven, to dicover the secrets of his success.
Good practice
Computer-aided design and manufacture in design and technology: Ripley St Thomas Church of England High School - This case study demonstrates how computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) can be integrated successfully into design and technology provision in a secondary school. Students confidently use professional standard software and manufacturing equipment and, as a result, their vocational skills are exceptionally well advanced by the time they leave school.
Inspection updates
Reading, writing and communication (literacy) - This publication considers expectations, standards and inspection methodology related to literacy from Year 3 to Year 11. It is one of two publications forming a programme of distance learning training materials for inspectors and has been written to support the implementation of the new framework for school inspection (January 2012). The publication will be of interest to teachers, and providers of initial and in-service teacher education, as well as inspectors.
Getting them reading early - This publication focuses on early reading, including systematic phonics, and inspection methodology. It is one of two publications which will be of interest to teachers, and providers of initial and in-service teacher education, as well as inspectors.
Protocol for the selection of schools whose overall effectiveness is graded satisfactory for a monitoring inspection - This protocol sets out the basis on which schools, whose overall effectiveness was judged to be satisfactory at their last inspection, are selected for a section 8 monitoring inspection. The protocol applies to schools, which were inspected since September 2009 under the current section 5 inspection framework.
Monitoring inspections of schools whose overall effectiveness is satisfactory - This is the guidance for inspecting schools whose overall effectiveness is satisfactory under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. This document was updated in September 2011.
Schools and inspection: September 2011 - This newsletter provides inspectors and stakeholders with information and guidance about our inspection work in schools.
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