Ofsted is carrying out a “substantial” rewrite of the toolkits that inspectors would use to grade schools under reforms to the inspection system, Tes understands.
It comes amid uncertainty about when the watchdog will publish its finalised inspection plans after it told its own workforce this would be delayed.
The watchdog is proposing a major overhaul of school inspections as it moves to a new report card system later this year, following the government’s decision to scrap headline effectiveness grades for schools.
Concerns raised
Earlier this year, the inspectorate set out plans to inspect schools in at least nine areas and introduce a new five-point grading scale for each evaluation area, ranging from exemplary to causing concern.
Ofsted also produced a set of toolkits for each evaluation area, setting out how inspectors would grade schools. The consultation on its plans closed at the end of last month.
Tes understands that concerns have been raised about the toolkits during testing of Ofsted’s planned inspections.
And sources with knowledge of the process say that a substantial rewrite of the toolkits is taking place.
Ofsted has declined to comment.
Delayed response
The inspectorate is consulting on the plans but does not yet have a confirmed date for when its response will be published.
Last week Tes revealed that Ofsted had told its inspectors that this response is set to be published later than it had hoped - but that it is not looking to delay the launch of its new inspection framework.
In an email to Ofsted’s workforce, seen by Tes, the inspectorate’s chief operating officer Matthew Coffey also said it was “not the case that we are looking to delay the start of inspections”.
And he added that Ofsted’s discussions with the Department for Education were “ongoing”.
When Ofsted first announced its inspection plans, it said that it would begin inspecting schools under the new framework from November 2025 - after the first half term of the next academic year.
It said this would give a “notice period equivalent to one term between the publication of our post-consultation response and inspection materials and the start of education inspections.”
Need for clarity
Tes has previously revealed that Ofsted has acknowledged that some changes were needed to its plans for inspections.
Writing for Tes, its director of strategy and engagement Rory Gribbell said the inspectorate had committed to “looking again at the clarity of drafting between the grades ‘secure’ and ‘strong’, so there is greater clarity on what we’ll be looking for”.
He also acknowledged that there was some “overlap between some evaluation areas and that there are arguably too many evaluation areas”.
Under Ofsted’s plans, schools would receive one of five grades in a range of evaluation areas. The new grades would be “causing concern”; “attention needed”; “secure”; “strong”; and “exemplary”.
Writing for Tes after the consultation was launched, headteacher Michael Tidd highlighted how it was difficult to establish which descriptors for different grades in the toolkits were deemed to be better.
