Ofsted is set to launch a new service to improve the quality and quantity of feedback that it gets from parents.
Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman has told MPs that the inspectorate is planning to replace the Parent View website and is also involving parents in the design of “new style” inspection reports.
Ofsted revealed earlier this year that fewer than one in 20 parents used its system to share views about their child’s school last year.
Now Ms Spielman has outlined plans to replace it in a letter written to the Public Accounts Committee following the spending watchdog’s report into Ofsted.
Her letter says: “While Parent View has served our inspection needs reasonably well, we are currently in the early stages of a project to replace the existing site with a new service, which better meets parents’ needs.
“The new system is being specifically designed to increase the volume, quality and diversity of views that we collect from parents both during and outside of inspection.
“This includes considering different platforms, ways of gathering and presenting data and the questions we ask parents.
“As part of this work we are investigating how we better meet the needs of parents, inspectors and schools to provide a more valuable service to them.
“We want to make Ofsted more accessible to parents - making it easier for them to provide feedback that is most reflective of their child’s educational experience.
“We want to ensure that the feedback we receive and share from parents is robust, meaningful and of benefit to other parents, schools and Ofsted inspectors.”
Ms Spielman also told MPs that Ofsted was having group discussions with parents to ensure reports under the new inspection framework would be accessible.
She added: “We continue to speak to a range of parents to make sure that our information is accessible, engaging and conveys the ethos of the school in a way that parents will find most useful.”
Ms Spielman also told MPs that Ofsted was looking to give inspectors more time in schools during short inspections of good schools, as revealed by Tes earlier this year.
