Ofsted Chief Inspector talks about appropriate approach to inspection

Article summary

Chief Inspector of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has given a speech at the 2021 Festival of Education, reflecting on the inspection framework which launched in 2019 which saw a move away from data-focused inspections towards those which take a more holistic view, lowering the attention given to exam results. Spielman says that ‘grades aren’t education in themselves’, calling for a focus on the quality of the education provided instead of a black-and-white, data-centric approach. She says that there are no plans to change this inspection framework, preferring a robust, substantive approach to one that needs to be reshaped at the emergence of each issue ‘as it comes along’.