Ofsted's school inspection update: autumn 2023 | Ofsted webinar for schools

This webinar provides an outline of the updates to the school inspection handbook for maintained schools and academies including: safeguarding, early monitoring inspections, inspection timings, leadership and governance and sharing judgements. We also answer your questions about inspections.

Panel:
- Jonathan Keay, Senior HMI, Policy, Quality and Training
- Catherine Old, HMI, Specialist Adviser, Policy, Quality and Training

Useful links:
- Upcoming webinars: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/3RRMVN/
- Full guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publica...
- DfE KCSIE webinar series: https://kcsie.orcula.co.uk/home
- 'When will my school be inspected?' blog: https://educationinspection.blog.gov....
- 'Our approach to inspecting the curriculum in alternative provision' blog: https://educationinspection.blog.gov....

Content:
0:00 Introduction
1:23 Upcoming webinars
02:08 Previous webinars
02:34 Outline of the session
03:26 The current context
06:55 Continuous improvement
07:52 Safeguarding
08:45 Culture of safeguarding
10:28 Ineffective safeguarding
12:21 Early monitoring inspections
13:24 Minor improvements
15:02 The single central record
18:47 Inspection timings
22:06 Leadership and governance
24:09 Trust updates
25:44 Other policy updates
29:33 Questions
30:03 Q1: Application of EIF to small schools
32:12 Q2: Data and published outcomes
32:59 Q3: Deep dives
34:08 Q4: What happens on an inspection?
35:25 Q5: How to prepare for inspection?
36:20 Q6: Attendance
38:24 Q7: Timings of inspections
39:10 Q8: Withdrawn safeguarding information
39:45 Q9: Pupils with SEND
40:50 Q10: Alternative provision
42:14 Q11: Special schools
42:31 Q12: Number of inspectors
43:05 Q13: Meetings with CEOs of large MATs
43:39 Q14: Internal attendance and behaviour data
44:28 Q15: Graded and ungraded inspections

Questions in full:
- Q1: What assurances can Ofsted give around the process and application of the framework to small and very small schools?
- Q2: In terms of outcomes, will inspectors be working from 2022 results or 2023 results for this term?
- Q3: Are schools told by inspectors which subjects they will receive a deep dive in, or is that agreed in discussions with heads?
- Q4: Can you explain what the day will entail and what will and won’t be done, for those people who are new to inspections?
- Q5: I’m new to Ofsted, where can I find out what to expect and what an inspection entails? How do I best prepare for an inspection?
- Q6: What exactly will inspectors look at in terms of attendance?
- Q7: Can you clarify the timings of inspections?
- Q8: Why has the inspecting safeguarding information been withdrawn?
- Q9: How does Ofsted view the curriculum in special schools?
- Q10: Can you clarify Ofsted’s approach to alternative provision?
- Q11: Is the scheduling of inspections for special schools any different from mainstream schools?
- Q12: How many inspectors will come to a school during inspection?
- Q13: How many meetings do CEOs of large MATs have to attend?
- Q14: Will you look at internal attendance and behaviour data?
- Q15: Our last inspection was a section 8 (ungraded), will our next one be a section 5 (graded) or a section 8 (ungraded)?