Part 1. Inspection policy and principles for inspection conducted under Section 8 of the Education Act 2005 The handbook is primarily a guide for inspectors on how to carry out inspections in the circumstances described in the introduction under HMCI’s discretionary power to inspect. However, it is made available to schools and other organisations to ensure that they are informed about the policy and procedures for using the section 8 inspection power in particular situations. Inspectors and schools should note that the information set out in the guidance ‘Ofsted inspections: also applies to all section 8 inspections. Conduct during inspections Inspectors carrying out inspections under section 8 must conduct themselves in accordance with the code of conduct as set out in the CIF. On arrival at the school, each inspector will show their identity badge and ask to see the headteacher. The headteacher should be advised that they may telephone the Applications, Regulatory and Contact (ARC) team (telephone: 0300 123 4234) to check on the identity of the inspectors if they wish to do so. Safeguarding Inspectors will always have regard for how well children and learners are helped and protected so that they are kept safe. Short inspections of good schools will always report on the effectiveness of safeguarding. For all other section 8 inspections, inspectors are not required to report specifically on the effectiveness of safeguarding, unless it is a focus of the inspection. In these cases, the judgement that will be reported in the letter will be: safeguarding is effective. If safeguarding is not effective or if pupils are considered to be at risk in any way, the lead inspector will convert the inspection to a section 5 inspection (unless the school is already inadequate). Ofsted has published a document setting out the approach inspectors should take to inspecting safeguarding in all the settings covered by the CIF. It should be read alongside this handbook: ‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’. It is also essential that inspectors are familiar with the following statutory guidance in relation to safeguarding: ‘Keeping children safe in education: Statutory guidance for schools and colleges’
Feedback at the end of the short inspection At the end of the short inspection, the lead inspector will provide brief oral feedback that will typically: report the range of evidence gathered provide the school with a judgement about whether it remains good or outstanding (as relevant) report whether safeguarding is effective make clear that the text of the short inspection report may differ slightly from the oral feedback ensure that leaders are clear about the procedures leading to the publication of the report. After the short inspection Reporting on the short inspection The school will receive a report, in the form of a letter, setting out the inspection findings that will be published on the Ofsted website. Schools should inform parents that this report has been published. The short inspection report will include: the date of the inspection a brief summary of any significant changes to the context of the school a summary of the type of evidence gathered during the inspection and the context of the school the judgement that safeguarding is effective the judgement that the school is providing a good quality of education or, where there is insufficient evidence that the school remains good or concerns that the school may no longer be good, that the current judgement that the school is providing a good quality of education has not changed and that the next inspection of the school will be a section 5 inspection identification of any next steps the school should take. Monitoring inspections for schools that require improvement in order to become good or outstanding This section of the handbook sets out Ofsted’s approach to challenging and supporting schools that are judged as requires improvement at their section 5 inspection. The guidance outlines the main activities that may be undertaken by the lead inspector when conducting a monitoring inspection of a school judged
‘The school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.’ Schools judged to have serious weaknesses are not required to prepare a separate action plan. They are expected to amend their existing plans or develop a new plan to tackle the areas for improvement identified by the section 5 inspection. The local authority, proprietor or the trust board must submit a statement of action to HMCI within 10 working days of the school receiving the final section 5 inspection report. An HMI will review the statement of action. HMI will provide initial feedback in writing on the fitness for purpose of the statement within 10 working days of receiving the statement. If the statement of action is judged to be not fit for purpose, the local authority, proprietor or trust will be informed. They will be asked to address the weaknesses urgently and ensure that the revised version is resubmitted to Ofsted. HMI will re-evaluate the revised statement of action and confirm its fitness for purpose. This will also be reported in the first monitoring letter. The HMI will usually conduct the first monitoring inspection within three to six months of the publication of the section 5 inspection report. During the monitoring inspection, HMI will meet with the headteacher, the chair of the governing body or board of trustees, an appropriate representative of the local authority, or the CEO/their delegate or equivalent where an academy is part of a multi-academy trust. HMI will look for evidence of how well leaders are implementing the statement of action and the school’s improvement plan. If any concerns remained following the initial review and feedback on these, HMI should check to ensure that the current statement of action and improvement plans are fit for purpose and report on this in the first monitoring inspection. If, after a programme of monitoring inspections lasting up to 30 months, the school has not been removed from the serious weaknesses category of concern it must be re-inspected under section 5. The monitoring inspection(s) Monitoring inspections will focus on the actions taken by the school’s leaders and those responsible for governance to tackle the areas for improvement identified in the section 5 inspection that judged the school to have serious weaknesses. Monitoring inspections must also focus on the progress the school has made since being judged as having serious weaknesses. The monitoring inspection report must include an assessment of the effectiveness of the action by the school towards removal of the serious weaknesses designation. An overarching judgement will be made stating whether: