Ofsted Update (November 2016)

Learn Sheffield Ofsted Update (November 2016)

• Top Tips/Issues

   

Issues to note (see email to schools which contains some supporting documents)

• Website compliance is an issue in a number of schools, which has been highlighted through a number of sources (the DfE website is https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online and there are two checklists attached to the email).

• It is worth confirming with Inspectors that they have received documents shared before the start of the inspection and/or uploaded to the portal – they can’t ask for documents and if the portal doesn’t work they may just think the school hasn’t chosen to share anything.

• The growing importance of the focus on disadvantaged pupils (including the most able disadvantaged) has been a theme throughout this term.

• Pre-Inspection work includes looking at the media for information (Learn Sheffield will arrange a Media workshop in the new year).

• There have been issues relating to the Single Central Record with the ‘prohibition fro teaching’ column missing on some older formats of the form (the email contains the latest FAQs document – although a new one is due out shortly).

• Some schools have been commended for having school overview documents in relation to safeguarding or wellbeing which capture the big picture (two documents shared with the email).

   

Some ‘messages’ from HMI

• The inspection ‘window’ for RI schools could be extended to 30 months after the publication of the previous inspection report if there is a new headteacher in post. Schools to notify Learn Sheffield if this is the case.

• If a school is due to have monitoring inspections, these will cease if, since September 2016 an academy order is in place or an existing academy has been re-brokered.

• Schools that are currently ‘twice RI’ - the handbook (paragraph 93/94) states that schools are likely to go into special measures if, at the third, inspection the school is not good. However, if there are significant signs of improvement then the school could be judged RI for the third time.

• Key groups are: most able, disadvantaged, most able disadvantaged and SEND. In relation to the most able disadvantaged - do schools know these pupils well enough and what they are doing to support and show impact?

• There is a focus on the wider curriculum and including English and maths.

• In terms of attendance, schools should be clear about:

  -current attendance and PA

  -what the 2015-16 figures were and how they compare

  -which groups have the weakest attendance?

  -to what extent are exclusions impacting on attendance

  -PA, from 2016 is 10% (and not 15%), however schools can show 15% so a comparison can be made

   

  Secondary RAISEonline

  Ahead of the release of the KS4 2016 unvalidated data, the secondary development newsletter has been uploaded to the RAISEonline library under the ‘Newsletter’ folder. The newsletter includes blank tables and reports on how the 2016 secondary data will be presented.

   

• Key Ofsted Messages

Outcomes: 

• Most weight given to progress, particularly from different starting points including low starting points of those who need to catch up and those with high starting points…

• Most weight to current pupils in all year groups, however, must take account of how this compares with the progress of recent cohorts

• Evaluate pupils’ academic achievement across the curriculum

• 4 key groups: 1: disadvantaged 2: most able 3: those who need to catch up 4: SEND

• Take account of most able and those who need to catch up

• Take particular account of the progress of disadvantaged pupils, especially the most able

• Inspectors to use the Inspection Dashboard to identify key lines of enquiry

• Use ROL to support the use of the Inspection Dashboard

• The school’s checking exercise data to be used (prior to the Inspection Dashboard and ROL being available)

• Disadvantaged and SEND to be compared with other pupils with the same starting points nationally

• New way of reporting pupil premium on school’s website (i.e. pupil premium strategy)

• KS2 writing teacher assessment (see Pete for further details)

• Evaluate across the curriculum not just English and mathematics

With regard to the handbook and outcomes:

• No change to what inspectors will consider or demand of the grade descriptors

• Changes to wording to reflect the changes in:

  -national assessment and accountability measures

  -Performance measures for disadvantaged pupils

• Minor amendments for consistency:

  - progress from starting points

  - across the curriculum

Disadvantaged pupils:

• Disadvantaged pupils for whom good provision and outcomes are a key contributory factor to good overall effectiveness.

• Improved progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils is a national priority, starting from the early years.

• The disadvantaged pupils in a school often start with prior attainment lower than the non-disadvantaged (other) pupils in the school.

Disadvantaged most able pupils:

• HMCI’s 2015 Annual Report highlighted the underperformance of disadvantaged pupils, particularly the most able disadvantaged.

• In the foreword of the May 2016 guide to effective pupil premium reviews, the Minister emphasised the need for the most able disadvantaged pupils to be supported.

• Inspection dashboard and RAISE will show progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils with low, middle and high prior attainment, enabling performance of the most able disadvantaged 2016 cohort to be evaluated.

Revisions to wording in the school inspection handbook re disadvantaged pupils:

• Wording about disadvantaged pupils in the outcomes section in the handbook has been amended to:

  -reflect changes in performance measures

  - re-affirm that inspectors will take account of progress of the most able disadvantaged pupils

• Removed: ‘in-school gaps’ and ‘closing gaps’

•  Used instead: ‘difference with other pupils nationally’ and ‘diminishing differences’

•  Use the words ‘difference’ and ‘diminishing’ and stress comparison with other pupils nationally.

Headlines in the outcomes section re disadvantaged pupils:

Two paragraphs on disadvantaged pupils, 180 and 181

• Importance of disadvantaged pupils:

  - the first section on groups

  - emphasis stated at start of paragraph 180.

• Take particular account of progress of disadvantaged pupils from starting points, especially the most able disadvantaged.

•  Compare historic performance with that of other pupils nationally with the same starting point.

•  Take account of how well current pupils are on track to diminish differences with others nationally.

• Current pupils

  - Impact of actions to reduce any differences in progress and attainment between disadvantaged and other pupils with the same starting point

  - In doing this, take into account the progress and attainment of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally with the same starting point.

• When considering current pupils, bear in mind that national data on the progress and attainment of non-disadvantaged pupils from different starting points against the new accountability measures will not be available until unvalidated inspection dashboards and RAISE.

Statistically above average: 

• New progress measures use a value-added approach, with zero as the national average.

•  We can only say progress is above average if it is statistically above average (sig+).

•  We can only say progress is below average if it is statistically below average (sig-).

• Only roughly a quarter of schools will be above average (sig+) in a measure.

•  Other schools will be ‘improving’ or ‘close to’ average.

   

Grade descriptors for good

• ‘Pupils’ progress is above average or improving across most subject areas.’

•  ‘From different starting points, progress in English and in mathematics is close to or above national figures.’

Outcomes across the curriculum:

• Outcomes across the curriculum are stated more explicitly.

•  Paragraph 174 states:

•  ‘To judge outcomes, inspectors will evaluate pupils’ academic and vocational achievement across the curriculum.’

•  For most able pupils, paragraph 182 states:

•  Inspectors will pay particular attention to whether the most able pupils are making progress towards attaining the highest standards and achieving as well as they should across the curriculum.

Inspecting outcomes summary:

• Give most weight to progress and take account of it for:

  - prior attainment groups, particularly the most able

  - disadvantaged pupils, particularly the most able.

• If pre-inspection analysis shows weaknesses in progress of prior attainment groups or disadvantaged pupils:

  - make this a key line of enquiry and follow it up

  - take it into account carefully if current progress differs

  - report on the same group of current pupils.

• Give most weight to current progress but we must take account of how this compares with recent cohorts.

•  Compare progress of disadvantaged pupils with other pupils nationally with the same starting point.

•  Across the curriculum, not just English and mathematics

Focus on groups:

• Inspection of groups permeates the ‘Common inspection framework’.

•  Inspectors form judgements for the school through inspecting:

  - provision and its impact for groups

  - leadership and management for groups

  - weighing up this evidence

The groups:

• Disadvantaged

•  Most able

•  Disadvantaged most able are a key focus of inspection.

If provision and outcomes for them are not strong, inspectors must consider carefully whether overall effectiveness can be good.

The pupil premium strategy:

• From September 2016, maintained schools are required to publish their pupil premium strategy online. Details of what it must include are on the Gov.uk website

Questions on pupil premium strategy

• Is a strategy in place for how the pupil premium will be used to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils?

•  How have pupils’ specific needs been assessed?

•  Has the school identified and considered the needs of different eligible pupils, including the most able pupils and those eligible for the higher level of pupil premium (looked after children and those that have left care through adoption and other formal routes)?

•  Is there a robust rationale for the approaches selected – based on pupils’ needs, the established evidence on what works and an evaluation of previous approaches?

•  Has the school identified how it will evaluate the impact of the approaches it has chosen?

•  What evidence is there of the impact of the school’s previous approaches on the outcomes of disadvantaged pupil?