‘You Spoke, We Listened’ – Ofsted’s presentation at SAAShow 2024

During our time at the Schools and Academies Show 2024 at the NEC, we were fortunate to attend a presentation given by Lee Owston, National Director of Ofsted.

Aptly titled ‘You Spoke, We Listened’, the presentation was a response to Ofsted’s ‘Big Listen’ survey, a consultation that ran from the beginning of March to the end of May 2024. This consultation took feedback from professionals, children and learners, parents, carers and the public, about the work Ofsted do and how they can improve.

During the Big Listen, one of Ofsted’s top priorities was to learn how to work with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect, aiming to minimise undue pressure on teaching professionals.

At the SAAShow 2024, Lee Owston was able to respond to the findings from the Big Listen.

Priority areas to focus on

Ofsted plan to use the feedback received and reform certain areas of the inspection framework and reporting processes. Some of the main areas Ofsted wants to focus on include:

• Ensuring high-quality, inclusive education is available for every child
• Great outcomes for everyone, including SEND children
• Learning providers to be places where leaders, staff and children thrive
• Collaborative and transparent approach to inspection, encouraging continuous school improvement
• Relevant stakeholders kept informed of provision quality

Reforming education inspections

Part of Ofsted’s priority is to reform the way education inspections are conducted by creating a new inspection framework. This new framework will aim to:

• Focus on the development, experiences and outcomes of pupils and learners
• Introduce clearer criteria to support leaders on their continuous improvement journey
• Make the inspection process more collaborative and transparent
• Make clearer what schools do well and where they should turn their attention next – while also recognising leaders’ independence and expertise
• Tailor the inspection process and criteria to different provider types, particularly specialist provision
• Craft new criteria for the future that’s easier to understand for both teachers and inspectors
• Avoiding a return to lesson observations and individual teacher grading

Making Ofsted reporting easier to understand

As well as reforming the inspection process, Ofsted wants to create a reporting framework that is clear to parents and relevant stakeholders. The new reporting system should:

• Provide clear information for parents/carers and relevant stakeholders from the sectors inspected
• Be available in an accessible format that can be read on tablets and phones
• Be easy to navigate to find the information that is required

It is clear from listening to Lee Owston’s presentation that Ofsted is keen to move towards a more collaborative approach to inspection and reporting, focussing on improvements that can be made and learning from successes – rather than scrutinising weaknesses a learning provider may have.

We were also lucky enough to be able to ask Ofsted a few questions at their stand at the SAAShow, including getting tips from Lee Owston himself on how to create an Ofsted compliant website.