Ofsted is looking to recruit expert school staff to help improve the subject knowledge of its inspection teams under its new framework.
The inspectorate is looking for nationally renowned teachers or leaders to take on new lead roles in early maths, early reading, English, geography, maths, modern foreign languages, music, religious education and science.
Ofsted has faced criticism for having inspection teams carrying out “deep dives” into subjects in which they are not specialists since the new framework was launched. It has already revealed that it has had to give inspectors extra help.
The nine new subject lead roles will involve inspecting schools, training inspectors and helping Ofsted carry out reviews and research in their subject specialism.
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The inspection of individual subjects has been given an increased importance in the new framework, with Ofsted carrying out deep dives into particular subjects as part of its assessment of the quality of the school curriculum.
The job specification for the new roles says the new subject leads will be expected to train inspectors from the same subject to “establish and maintain a high level of inspection expertise”.
It also says the role will involve developing “an effective subject network of inspectors, both HMI and Ofsted inspectors who can lead the workforce in understanding the most effective approaches to evaluating their subjects in educational settings”.
Ofsted has advertised for nine posts and said it will be recruiting in all national curriculum subjects before the end of the academic year.
The application deadline for the first nine roles has already passed. The posts, which pay up to £72,665, are for a fixed two-year contract. The advert said that if the subject contracts were not extended the subject leads may move into HMI roles.
Writing for Tes earlier this month, the National Education Union’s joint general secretary Mary Bousted said it was worrying that “Ofsted inspectors are doing deep dives into subjects and age phases they have never taught and in which they have no subject expertise”.
Earlier this year, when it was developing its new framework, Ofsted revealed that it was giving inspectors extra help because of concerns about their reliability in checking the secondary curriculum under the new inspection framework.
Daniel Muijs, Ofsted’s deputy director for research and evaluation, said Ofsted was giving its inspectors “subject-specific guidance” in all subjects to improve the reliability of their inspections.
For these new subject lead roles Ofsted has said it is looking for people who have a national profile and standing in their subject to work as its subject leads.
Candidates will also “have experienced success as a senior or middle leader in a school, MAT or other education provider, with a strong record in education”.
Amanda Spielman’s Ofsted ‘s chief inspector has said that inspecting how well schools teach subjects is at the heart of its new inspection framework focused on curriculum.
In a foreword to the job advert, she said: “What is a curriculum apart from its subjects? To inspect the curriculum means to consider the quality of education a school provides in each subject.
“Our new framework emphasises the importance of curriculum choices and sequencing to ensure all pupils learn the knowledge they need to lead fulfilling lives and play their part in society.”
Ofsted’s curriculum and development lead Heather Fearn has said on social media that these appointments will be followed by the recruitment of subject leads in all other national curriculum subject areas including art, computing history and PE.
