Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman is likely to seek an extension to her five-year term to give the new school inspection framework that she introduced more time to bed in, Tes understands.

Her term is due to finish at the end of this year and the Education Inspection Framework she introduced in 2019 had less than two terms before the Covid crisis unfolded, forcing the watchdog to put school visits on hold.

The Department for Education won’t say yet whether Ms Spielman’s term will be extended or not.

Tes understands that the current chief inspector is likely to seek an extension rather than serving for another five years.

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Ms Spielman is understood to be keen to ensure that the changes to inspection that she has introduced, placing more emphasis on the curriculum and less on exam results, bed in so they are more likely to remain in place.

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If a new chief inspector started in January 2022, Ms Spielman’s framework could have operated for as little as two terms.

Tes also understands that a decision on the future of the Ofsted leadership may be made by 10 Downing Street rather than the Department for Education.

Ofsted has declined to comment on whether Ms Spielman is seeking an extension.

A decision would be needed very quickly to allow the government room to appoint a successor to the same timetable as the last Ofsted changeover.

When Ms Spielman was appointed to replace Sir Michael Wilshaw, she was interviewed for the post in April 2016, eight months before he was due to finish. 

Ms Spielman was then announced as the new chief inspector in June 2016 before starting her five-year term in January 2017. 

Curriculum-focused inspections

Under Ms Spielman’s leadership, Ofsted’s new framework has placed more emphasis on curriculum and less on exam and test data when judging a school.

However, this new inspection regime was placed on hold in March last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ofsted has not carried out full inspections since then. It had aimed to return to full inspection in January of this year but this was then delayed to the summer term. 

And, as Tes reported last week, there is now uncertainty around whether full Ofsted inspections will return after Easter.

Guidance to schools in a section on Ofsted’s phased return to inspection no longer mentions full inspections resuming this summer.

Instead, it now says that discussions with government and stakeholders are ongoing about the timing and form that inspections will take next term “and beyond”.