Ofsted’s reforms could yet prove successful if the inspectorate is able to learn from its own best practice and get its silos communicating with each other.
Ofsted’s pre-Christmas announcement that it will start trialling ‘new approaches’ to inspection this month before its report card consultation opens was not universally welcomed. But if Ofsted can learn from it – and from itself – then there’s good cause to be optimistic about the outcome.
Ofsted has always argued for sharing best practice as a key means of achieving excellence and raising standards for all. The inspectorate has consistently advocated for collaborative approaches, praising instances when individuals share good ideas and practice that benefit the sector, students and teachers alike.
It’s baffling, therefore, that as an organisation it seems unable to apply this principle to its own approach. There is already good practice for improving inspection practice within Ofsted, and the current trials offer the chance to put it to the test in schools.
To read the full article on how Ofsted’s reform can prove to be sucessful, click here.