Inside one of the first ‘no headline judgement’ Ofsted inspections

On 23 September, the first day that inspections were resumed following necessary and important changes, I was sitting in my office willing the phone to ring so we could get through our first inspection in 10 years and stop having it hanging over us. I had just returned from maternity leave.

It definitely did feel better knowing The Call would only come on a Monday and that there wouldn’t be a one-word headline judgement, but it was hard to predict how much of a positive impact these changes would have.

At 10am the phone rang.

Ofsted ‘no headline judgement’ inspection

It turned out the changes were subtle, but felt like a step in the right direction. From the moment the phone rang, the lead inspector was warm and collaborative, keen to work with us and around the rhythm of school life. It definitely felt like a shift in approach.

We arranged for a longer call to take place two hours later, and I got on with informing the community.

What I hadn’t quite computed was how much of the school leaders’ time would be taken up with logistics, timetabling and liaising with the lead inspector. Shut in an office, it was hard not to worry about how staff were responding and whether everyone was feeling OK.

Accountability pressure

At 2.30pm, we told the pupils that Ofsted were coming. Feeding off our nervous energy, those assemblies were a little “livelier” than usual. Not ideal.

I would love to be able to say that everyone left at 4.30pm and had a good night’s sleep, but for better or for worse, it is not in our nature as a school to do that the night before an inspection. Pizzas were ordered, rooms were tidied and rehearsal conversations were had.

We wanted everyone to be fully prepared so that they, and our pupils, could have as calm an inspection as possible.

Wellbeing and inspection

Staff were encouraged to talk to us if they felt that observation was going to be too stressful, and some staff requested not to be observed. We supported this and the inspectors were understanding.

On the first day, keep-in-touch meetings and wellbeing check-ins with inspectors were rigorous. It felt genuine.

We were aware that this was one of the first inspections without a single-word headline grade for the inspectors - there was a sense that everyone wanted to emerge from the process feeling that important lessons had been learned and that the inspection process was moving towards something that remained rigorous, but was also humane and collaborative.

Interim Ofsted process

The prospect of inspection had caused me sleepless nights. The worry about letting staff, the children and our community down weighed heavily on me. But when I was actually in it, 10 years after our first inspection, I found the experience to be OK, and even, at points (whisper it) enjoyable.

It is vital that parents receive a detailed view of schools so that they can choose the best environment for their child. And it is right that schools should be held to the highest of standards for the education they are providing because nothing matters more than teaching children really well.

Inspection should provide clear insights into what excellence in non-negotiable areas should look like and whether schools are meeting those standards - for example, with regards to safeguarding and attendance - along with space to innovate and reflect local context in other areas.

Report cards: what should they measure?

When we educate children, we teach them that there is always room for improvement and we are all continually learning, reflecting and getting better. We should have an inspection system that reflects those beliefs.

I would love to see a report card with the 20 or 30 things that school leaders, parents and pupils have collectively concluded are necessary for all schools to do really well, with a recognition that our whole system still has a long way to go to make sure that every child can flourish.

And I would love to work in an education system where there is a clear and very high bar for all schools to aim at, and where there is transparency around the fact that every school has examples of excellence and areas for development all of the time. None of that nuance is reflected in the current system.

I really hope that our experience of inspection is the norm and signals a shift to a renewed way of supporting all schools to focus on all children.

A self-improving system

Last year, I visited Singapore and was fascinated to learn that headteachers are rotated around schools by the Ministry of Education. Schools are visited every year by the same “inspector”, who gets to know the community. Headteachers work collaboratively with each other because, as I was repeatedly told, “one day their school might be my school”.

I can’t help but wonder how we could harness some of that collaborative attitude in our own system; working together to be completely clear on what great educational institutions should look and feel like, and shining a light on them that feels appropriately challenging and supportive. A light which, hopefully, supports schools to get better and better over time, illuminating both great practice and areas for development in a way that is both clear and kind.

I think outcomes for children would be all the better for it.

Rebecca Cramer is chief executive of Reach Schools