Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has called for “state school standards enshrined in law” to stop the watchdog “tinkering” with what it assesses in future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it is not clear what the standards would cover or how they would differ from the existing plethora of statutory guidance schools already have to follow<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oliver addressed hundreds of academy trust leaders this morning at the Confederation of School Trusts<\/a>\u2019 (CST) annual conference in Birmingham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are the key takeaways\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oliver said he would like “state school standards enshrined in law” by the Department for Education (DfE) to prevent Ofsted from “tinkering” with what it assesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The next chief inspector might come along and change the framework, or they might not,” he said, alluding to when his tenure as chief inspector ends, “in three years time…or sooner”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “[The DfE] have enshrined in law the independent school standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “I think there should be the state school standards enshrined in law that stops Ofsted then from tinkering around the edges and deciding to do something new,” he said. “That’s not what I think is Ofsted’s job.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The independent school standards, in force since 2015, lay out eight standards for independent schools including the quality of education, the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, schools\u2019 premises and suitability of staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at the education committee earlier this week, Oliver said the new inspection toolkits “have been written against the statutory and non statutory standards that exist for schools” meaning schools are being assessed on whether they are doing “what they’re supposed to do”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ofsted did not provide further details about the proposed state school standards when approached by Schools Week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oliver told leaders that despite headline grades being scrapped by Ofsted more than a year ago, they are still \u201cdisplayed proudly outside schools, nurseries, further education providers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said he was “so aware of the one-word judgment banners\u201d when he was driving in the north east, near where he lives, a few weeks ago. \u201cIt really brings home the scale of the change we\u2019re making.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n But he described Ofsted’s new framework, launching on November 10, as \u201ca renewed system\u2026that resets and reframes the way schools are seen and the way you see yourselves\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the new framework is “about more than just one word displayed on a banner and instead gives a full, rounded narrative that accounts for the experience of every child within its walls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oliver warned against comparing the new framework to the previous one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we’re going to make this level of change, I think it’s really important that we really stop people from doing that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018Exceptional\u2019 \u2013 the top grade in Ofsted\u2019s new five-point grading system \u2013 \u201cis not the new \u2018outstanding\u2019,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m not going to say it’s harder, I’m not going to say it’s less…it’s different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou cannot map \u2018exceptional\u2019 to \u2018outstanding\u2019. You can’t map \u2018strong\u2019 to \u2018good\u2019. You can’t map \u2018expected standard\u2019 to \u2018requires improvement\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. State school standards should be \u2018enshrined in law\u2019<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Schools still displaying headline grades<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. New and old grading system should not be compared<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. ‘You can be inclusive and high-achieving’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n