Ofsted has told sector leaders that teaching could be assessed as a separate category under draft plans for its new inspection framework.
Tes understands that the school watchdog has been sharing its initial plans for inspection areas with a wide range of senior figures in the education sector in recent weeks, ahead of a formal consultation launch in the new year.
The inspectorate has disclosed a number of potential inspection areas that could be included in school inspection as Ofsted moves to a report card system in September 2025.
New Ofsted inspection framework
The plans involve separating out teaching and the curriculum into separate areas, which has caused concern among those who have been consulted, particularly amid the recruitment and retention challenges affecting the sector.
Teaching and curriculum are assessed together in the current education inspection framework (EIF) under its quality of education judgement.
Before the EIF was introduced in 2019 by Amanda Spielman, who was chief inspector at the time, teaching and learning and pupil outcomes were separate categories. These were then replaced with quality of education, which placed an increased emphasis on curriculum.
Ofsted’s informal consultation comes after the inspectorate was warned not to draw up its new framework “behind closed doors”, following its announcement of reform in September.
Other categories understood to be included in the new report card proposals include attendance, opportunities to thrive, outcomes, behaviour, leadership, preparation for next steps and also inclusion, which Ofsted has already announced will be a key focus.
Ofsted declined to comment.
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