This week Ofsted announced changes to some aspects of its inspection process. From a safeguarding perspective Ofsted have said:
“They will return within 3 months of an inspection report being published, and parents will be informed of this intention in the report. If the school has been able to resolve the safeguarding concerns it is likely to see its overall grade improve. From September we will offer schools greater clarity about the threshold for effective vs. ineffective safeguarding, through our inspection handbook as well as regular blogs and webinars. We will also describe ineffective safeguarding more clearly in inspection reports, to help reassure parents and others that these judgements are not made lightly.”
I think that anything that helps schools understand their safeguarding role is all for the good. The statutory guidance, ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE), has been published and annually reviewed since 2014. Ofsted publishes separate guidance: ‘Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills’, the latest version of this document is from September 2022. One aspect of that inspection document is headed ‘Signs of Successful Safeguarding Arrangements’.”
For Further Reading:
School Inspection Changes:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-made-to-school-inspections
Inspecting Safeguarding in Early Years, Education and Skills:
