Ofsted Inspectors Lack Important Skills For Their Role: A new report from the Policy Exchange think tank says that many Ofsted inspectors do not have the skills necessary to make fair or reliable judgements on the schools they are tasked to review. The think tank stated that many of the inspectors, a proportion of whom are employed part time by private firms, do not have experience of primary teaching or any training in special educational needs. Policy Exchange suggested that Ofsted inspectors should pass an exam prior to being allowed to carry out reviews within schools.

The report, which included views from a consultation with 300 head teachers, suggested that Ofsted limit the number of staff employed via private firms. Currently, Ofsted utilises three regional contractors who employ around 3,000 inspectors between them – around half of whom carry out inspections in schools. A further 300-400 are employed directly by Ofsted with around half of those working in schools. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have developed their own methods for school inspection – separate from Ofsted in England.

Ofsted Inspectors Lack Important Skills For Their Role, Says Report From Policy Exchange

A further important element within the report was a criticism of inspectors which suggested that some did not have the requisite skills to be able to analyse data. The think tank called for an exam to be put in place which would demonstrate this ability among inspectors prior to them being allowed to carry out work in schools. A further recommendation was that Ofsted inspectors have recent and relevant experience of teaching in schools of the same type as those which they are assessing.

The current requirement is that Ofsted inspectors have a minimum of five years of teaching experience as well as up to date knowledge of the area they are inspecting. Ofsted has said it will study the recommendations made in the report, Watching The Watchmen, closely.

Michael Cladingbowl, Ofsted’s national director for schools, said that the regulator had played an important role in driving up standards over the last two decades, and that the organisation was now looking at how inspections should develop in the next ten years given that eight out of ten schools are now rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. He said that the Policy Exchange’s recommendations chimed with many of Ofsted’s own views and that the body will be “studying them more closely in the coming days.”

The report from Policy Exchange comes on the heels of a spat between Ofsted, Michael Gove and think tanks – including Policy Exchange and Civitas – in January. At the time, Sir Michael Wilshaw, despite having drawn criticism from teachers in the past, stated that Ofsted had done “more to raise standards in 21 years of existence than any other organisation.”