Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.03
Peter Mortimore
This article proposes reform of the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). It considers the purpose of inspection in English schools and describes the previous system of inspection based on Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI). The question of how effective Ofsted is – in comparison to similar countries – is then addressed. The creation of Ofsted is described and its strengths acknowledged before discussion of the frequent criticisms it has attracted. Whether or not the English education system actually needs rigorous inspection is considered and the conclusion reached is that inspection is desirable, but not the current Ofsted model. The remainder of the article outlines the principles that could underpin a more positive model of inspection and the most pressing issues for reform. It ends with the recognition that, since schooling will be subject to change in a modern technology-driven world, models of inspection also need to be flexible.
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Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.15
Wendy Scott
In this article I consider changes in the remit and interpretation of the role of Ofsted since its inception in 1992, with particular reference to early years inspections.
{"title":"Ofsted - requires improvement","authors":"Wendy Scott","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.15","url":null,"abstract":"In this article I consider changes in the remit and interpretation of the role of Ofsted since its inception in 1992, with particular reference to early years inspections.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139299384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.05
Adrian Lyons
While never a loved organisation, Ofsted's reputation has perhaps never been so low. Amid a myriad of calls for reform or abolition, former HMI Adrian Lyons reflects on his 20 years of inspection with over 16 years employed by Ofsted as an HMI. He concludes that one of the biggest problems with Ofsted is its frequent change in policy, activity and direction. He argues that while an accountability measure created for the 1990s needs to change to reflect the contemporary landscape, a return to some of the things it did well in the past would actually be a positive move forward.
{"title":"Can an understanding of the past help Ofsted find a better future?","authors":"Adrian Lyons","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.05","url":null,"abstract":"While never a loved organisation, Ofsted's reputation has perhaps never been so low. Amid a myriad of calls for reform or abolition, former HMI Adrian Lyons reflects on his 20 years of inspection with over 16 years employed by Ofsted as an HMI. He concludes that one of the biggest problems with Ofsted is its frequent change in policy, activity and direction. He argues that while an accountability measure created for the 1990s needs to change to reflect the contemporary landscape, a return to some of the things it did well in the past would actually be a positive move forward.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"116 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139297105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.16
Frank Norris
Following his departure from Ofsted in 2012, Frank Norris was appointed as CEO of Co-op Academies Trust. He reflects on the positive nature of induction he had for both roles, and considers how newly appointed HMI now receive a much less effective induction experience.
{"title":"An open letter to all HM inspectors who supported my induction","authors":"Frank Norris","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.16","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.16","url":null,"abstract":"Following his departure from Ofsted in 2012, Frank Norris was appointed as CEO of Co-op Academies Trust. He reflects on the positive nature of induction he had for both roles, and considers how newly appointed HMI now receive a much less effective induction experience.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139291734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.19
Julia Snell, Ian Cushing
In this article, we show how Ofsted operates as institutional language police, and how the inspectorate's attitudes about language maintain race-class inequalities under a guise of social justice, equality and evidence-based practice. Our research has repeatedly demonstrated how Ofsted reproduces long-standing, deficit-based and colonial logics that marginalised children lack adequate language, and that school is a place where they can be compensated for these supposed shortcomings. We outline three key areas of this work. First, we trace the kind of research about language that Ofsted draws on to build the so-called evidence-base which underpins its contemporary policies. Second, we reveal the language ideologies that circulate in school inspection reports and how the inspectorate evaluates the language of teachers and pupils. Finally, we show how these stances on language have direct impact on the lives of teachers and children in schools. We argue that the extent of the language policing and discrimination we have uncovered in Ofsted's policies and reporting demonstrates that these are not simply individual mistakes but an institutionalised, systemic and normalised feature of the inspectorate's practice.
{"title":"Institutional language policing and the maintenance of race-class inequalities","authors":"Julia Snell, Ian Cushing","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.19","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.19","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, we show how Ofsted operates as institutional language police, and how the inspectorate's attitudes about language maintain race-class inequalities under a guise of social justice, equality and evidence-based practice. Our research has repeatedly demonstrated how Ofsted reproduces long-standing, deficit-based and colonial logics that marginalised children lack adequate language, and that school is a place where they can be compensated for these supposed shortcomings. We outline three key areas of this work. First, we trace the kind of research about language that Ofsted draws on to build the so-called evidence-base which underpins its contemporary policies. Second, we reveal the language ideologies that circulate in school inspection reports and how the inspectorate evaluates the language of teachers and pupils. Finally, we show how these stances on language have direct impact on the lives of teachers and children in schools. We argue that the extent of the language policing and discrimination we have uncovered in Ofsted's policies and reporting demonstrates that these are not simply individual mistakes but an institutionalised, systemic and normalised feature of the inspectorate's practice.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139293156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.21
Derek Gillard
{"title":"Beyond the Malting House School Susan Isaacs: a life freeing the minds of children","authors":"Derek Gillard","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.21","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.21","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"24 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139298272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.07
Harmer Parr
This article is personal and rather anecdotal as it is an attempt to sum up my experience of 30 years of Ofsted inspections. The key questions remain what they always were. How do you deal with the sometimes conflicting requirements of support and accountability, objectivity and impartiality, styles of inspection, reporting and grading? Perhaps most importantly, how do you try to ensure that inspection leads to improvement?
{"title":"In defence of Ofsted: An insider's perspective","authors":"Harmer Parr","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.07","url":null,"abstract":"This article is personal and rather anecdotal as it is an attempt to sum up my experience of 30 years of Ofsted inspections. The key questions remain what they always were. How do you deal with the sometimes conflicting requirements of support and accountability, objectivity and impartiality, styles of inspection, reporting and grading? Perhaps most importantly, how do you try to ensure that inspection leads to improvement?","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139304392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.14
Megan Pacey
Children's early education experiences are rarely high quality when changes to policy and practice are knee jerk and made in response to politicised anger and frustration. Changes to education inspection systems deliver when they are grounded in evidence – informed practice. What matters is that the inspection process supports practitioners in schools and settings to find sustainable, safe and effective ways to meet the needs of the children and families that they work with.
{"title":"Don't let the tail wag the dog: Inspection in early childhood education and care","authors":"Megan Pacey","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.14","url":null,"abstract":"Children's early education experiences are rarely high quality when changes to policy and practice are knee jerk and made in response to politicised anger and frustration. Changes to education inspection systems deliver when they are grounded in evidence – informed practice. What matters is that the inspection process supports practitioners in schools and settings to find sustainable, safe and effective ways to meet the needs of the children and families that they work with.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"75 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139297857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-11-01DOI: 10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.13
Barry Dufour
After an analysis of the arrival of the National Curriculum, the account moves to the arrival of Ofsted as a way of policing the National Curriculum, albeit in relation to confusion over how to deal with the cross-curricular issues. There follows a brief history of Ofsted, its methods, style and purpose, before I examine the impact of endof-inspection blunt summary statements on teachers and the school.
{"title":"Ofsted: Outstandingly inadequate","authors":"Barry Dufour","doi":"10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3898/forum.2023.65.3.13","url":null,"abstract":"After an analysis of the arrival of the National Curriculum, the account moves to the arrival of Ofsted as a way of policing the National Curriculum, albeit in relation to confusion over how to deal with the cross-curricular issues. There follows a brief history of Ofsted, its methods, style and purpose, before I examine the impact of endof-inspection blunt summary statements on teachers and the school.","PeriodicalId":509128,"journal":{"name":"Forum","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139305578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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