{"id":225531,"date":"2025-02-14T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=225531"},"modified":"2025-02-14T16:19:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T16:19:16","slug":"ofsted-and-dfe-are-still-not-there-with-solving-inclusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/ofsted-and-dfe-are-still-not-there-with-solving-inclusion\/","title":{"rendered":"Ofsted and DfE are still not there with solving inclusion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I was looking forward to the launch of Ofsted\u2019s scorecard consultation<\/a>; after all, they had been listening. Instead, within minutes of waking up on announcement day, my overwhelming sentiment was that I need to retire as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These proposals<\/a> have done little to reassure me or my Headteachers\u2019 Roundtable colleagues. That\u2019s in part why it\u2019s taken us until today to publish our official response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the rest of the sector, we\u2019ve collectively enjoyed the Nando\u2019s memes. Gallows humour aside though, there\u2019s a genuine risk it could annihilate not just the current generation of school leaders but the next one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the listening has filtered through. We wanted one word judgements to go; they\u2019ve gone. The dreaded \u2018Inadequate\u2019 judgment has gone with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some of the proposals smack of \u2018be careful what you wish for\u2019. <\/em>Current areas of inspection \u2013 too broad and nebulous \u2013 have been widened to ten. Four judgement outcomes \u2013 too high-stakes \u2013 have been extended to a heady five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worse: unless there is a substantial redraft, we will miss a golden opportunity to deliver fully inclusive schools through policy and practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inclusion is now one of the ten areas to be inspected, but as yet there is no clear agreement on what it will cover. \u00a0The absence of a separate SEND judgment means SEND is likely to dominate the inclusion judgment to the detriment of other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, the inclusion toolkit that accompanies the consultation focuses only on classroom and in-school practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what of the school that tells parents it \u2018can\u2019t meet need\u2019 before the child even joins, leaving it to support only the few students with moderate needs who get through its filter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what of the \u2018magnet school\u2019 round the corner that has had to develop its practices in response to a genuinely straining demand because of its neighbour\u2019s sharp practice?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How will Ofsted discern which is genuinely \u2018Exemplary\u2019 on inclusion? And if Ofsted won\u2019t drive more ethical collaboration, then who?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

We can\u2019t wriggle out of this with blunt measures <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How will we ever get to the bottom of the increases in AP placements and \u2018elective\u2019 home education? How will we discourage those who press parents to apply for in-year transfers, manipulate admissions and narrow their curriculum?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Headteachers\u2019 Roundtable has already made the case for reforming the metrics that drive this elsewhere in these pages, so I won\u2019t rehearse the arguments again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the point is that we\u2019ve developed incentives that mean some children are more desirable than others to certain schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can\u2019t wriggle out of that with blunt measures either. Even if Ofsted chose to bring contextual data to bear on its judgments, there\u2019s a risk it would be too blunt to account for inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher-than-national-average numbers of children with SEND or eligible for free school meals mean a lot less, for example, than whether this is representative of the catchment area and neighbouring schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then, not all children with special educational needs are the same. My own daughter has moderate hearing loss in both ears and wears hearing aids. She has special educational needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demand she places on her school is very different to children with trauma, with mental health difficulties or with severe speech, language and communication needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is also well supported by a mother who is a headteacher. So many suffer multiple disadvantages stemming from poverty and inter-generational challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genuinely inclusive schools welcome these children without hesitation, usually after they have been rejected by others. They see young people who need to be believed in and supported, not treated as a risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bridget Phillipson says we need to move away from a system where some sink while others soar. We agree, and this is our moment to ensure it happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s get our definition of inclusion straight. Let\u2019s take our time to think clearly about the indicators of truly inclusive practice. And let\u2019s use those to make inclusion a limiting judgment along with safeguarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then we\u2019ll be on our way to rewarding \u2013 not penalising \u2013 those with a rigorous commitment to the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on 28 April 2025<\/em><\/strong>. Respond here<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Ofsted draft framework is a missed opportunity to start aligning our incentives with our shared inclusive vision<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":311124,"featured_media":224718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"post-theme":[3559],"class_list":["post-225531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","post-theme-opinion-accountability"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t