Sean Harford writing in the special edition of the School Inspection Update published this week, has described how Inspections under the new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) will focus on the real substance of education: the curriculum.

“We will be spending less time looking at test and examinations data on inspection, and more time looking at what is taught, when it is taught and how schools have achieved their results: ‘Why that, why then and what is the result?’

We want to make sure that good results come from teaching a broad, rich curriculum, not from narrowing and hothousing for tests. Ofsted grades will reflect the areas that matter most to parents and for educational effectiveness:

• quality of education
• behaviour and attitudes
• personal development
• leadership and management.”

The School Inspection Update focuses on the transition arrangements for section 5 inspections under the EIF, as well as applying the transition to section 8 inspections of good schools.  It also includes articles on:

• The new Ofsted Parent View questions
• Outstanding primary schools
• Meetings with curriculum leaders 
• Clarification on schools keeping books between different academic years
• The healthy school rating scheme

The full Update can be found: Ofsted School Inspection Update September 2019

The EIF can be found: Education Inspection Framework