Ofsted has been given more than £23 million extra funding to ensure it can inspect all schools by the summer of 2025.
The government has provided extra funding through the Spending Review to ask the watchdog to provide a quicker assessment of how well education is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Without this Ofsted said it would have taken another year for all schools and colleges to be have been inspected.
Heads: Leadership union calls for schools to be able to halt Ofsted inspections
Inspections: Ofsted accused of not taking Covid into account
Controversy: Call to halt Ofsted inspections over concerns about heads’ wellbeing
Ofsted said that beginning with last term’s inspections, all schools and further education providers will now be inspected at least once by the summer of 2025.
The extra funding to increase the number of Ofsted inspections over the next three years comes amid calls from headteachers’ unions and school leader organisations for the watchdog to pause its checks on schools because of the impact of Covid.
Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, said: “Schools and colleges have worked tirelessly to teach and support children and learners at a time when their education has been seriously disrupted.
“Children only get one chance at school. Everyone working in education must do everything they can to give this generation the best possible chance to fulfil its potential.
“Ofsted will play its part - by giving parents and learners up to date information and by helping schools and colleges shape their plans. I’m pleased that we will now be able to reach all schools, colleges and apprenticeship providers by summer 2025.”
Ofsted has said the total extra funding for education inspections over the next three financial years, over and above its current planned spending, is £23.85 million.
Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Nobody underestimates the scale of the challenge schools, colleges and other education providers have experienced through the pandemic.
“But it has also provided an opportunity to build back better and fairer, doubling down on our mission to make sure every child has the opportunity to achieve their potential.
“Accelerating the rate of Ofsted inspections over the coming years will provide parents with an up to date picture and swifter recognition of the hard work of leaders and teachers.”
The Association of School and College Leaders has called for schools to be allowed to halt Ofsted inspections on request because they are in “crisis mode” coping with Covid-19.
The NAHT school leaders’ union called for inspections to be paused and the support service Headrest has urged education secretary Nadhim Zahawi to put graded inspections on hold amid concerns that they are “toxic” to school leaders’ wellbeing during the pandemic.
Chris Russell, Ofsted’s national director of education, replied to Headrest to say that the inspectorate believed returning to routine inspections under its education inspection framework was the best way for it to continue supporting the sector.
