Commenting on the latest Ofsted inspections and report card proposals, Natalie Perera, Chief Executive at the Education Policy Institute said:
“The need for reform of the accountability system is clear and Ofsted are right to consider the impact of disadvantage and inclusion. The current system does not paint a fair picture of school effectiveness with schools serving disadvantaged communities being far more likely to be labelled as underperforming, and performance measures can act as a disincentive to be inclusive for all pupils.
“We have long argued for a more rounded accountability system. Our own measures of performance for school groups illustrate a potential approach to providing a more nuanced summary of schools to include pupil outcomes and progression, pupil inclusion, and workforce and financial management.”
“There will rightly be concerns about the capacity and ability of Ofsted inspection teams to provide consistent and reliable judgements across a wide range of measures, given the relatively limited time that they spend in schools. Both Ofsted and the Department for Education should consider whether some of these areas might be better served by the more frequent data collections that already exist.
“The proposed approach to reporting, with the same type of judgement in each area, will unfortunately make it relatively easy for users to combine measures. This risks taking us back to simple overall judgements, precisely what Ofsted are attempting to move away from. Schools and academy trusts are complex organisations, and for most, there will be areas of strength, and areas where more support may be needed.“
