Ofsted inspectors are more likely to mention exclusions and absences in negative Ofsted inspections, whereas words such as 鈥渁rt鈥, 鈥渃ulture鈥 and 鈥渨ellbeing鈥 feature more often in reports on top-rated schools, new analysis shows. said its snapshot data 鈥渢ells us something about 翱蹿蝉迟别诲鈥檚 past and present preoccupations鈥. Analysis of about 60,000 Ofsted mainstream state school reports since 2006 looked at the words that appeared most often in reports on 鈥榞ood鈥 and 鈥榦utstanding鈥 schools, and compared them with inspections of 鈥榬equires improvement鈥 and 鈥榠nadequate鈥 settings. 鈥淎rt鈥, 鈥渃ulture鈥 and 鈥淐ovid-19鈥 were the top three words most likely to come up in positive primary school inspections, whereas 鈥渁ssessment鈥, 鈥渆xclusions鈥 and 鈥渁bsences鈥 were more likely to crop up in negative reports. It鈥檚 a similar pattern at secondary level, where 鈥渨ellbeing鈥, 鈥渃ulture鈥 and 鈥淓bacc鈥 (the English Baccalaureate accountability measure) were frequently used in top rated inspections, compared with 鈥渁bsences鈥, 鈥渟pelling鈥 and 鈥渁lternative provision鈥 in those with poor ratings. ‘Technology’ and ‘British values’ more commonly used Trends have shifted over time too. Since September 2021, under the new inspection framework, words such as 鈥渄estinations鈥, 鈥渁rt鈥, 鈥渢echnology鈥, 鈥淓nglish and maths鈥 and 鈥渟cience鈥 have become more common in positive secondary reports. 鈥淏ritish values鈥, 鈥渁ttainment鈥, 鈥渃omputing鈥 and 鈥淓nglish as an additional language鈥 have become more frequent in reports of schools with negative grades. Timo Hannay, from SchoolDash, said: 鈥淥n a practical level, if your inspectors are taking an overt interest in school culture, pupil wellbeing or art 鈥 or, more recently, in science and technology 鈥 then, at least statistically speaking, you would appear to be in good shape. 鈥淥n the other hand, if they’re unduly concerned about absences, exclusions or British values then you might need to prepare that most British of all attributes, a stiff upper lip.鈥 Julie McCulloch, policy director at the leaders’ union ASCL, said it was 鈥渃oncerning鈥 exclusions and attendance featured so heavily in negative judgments. 鈥淲hile these are crucial issues that schools have responsibility for, they also reflect wider problems. Current accountability metrics, including Ofsted grades, correlate closely with factors not necessarily within a school鈥檚 control.鈥 Schools need ‘consistent’ inspection approach Schools Week dug out some reports where the most prominent words feature. At 鈥榠nadequate鈥 Tendring Technology College, a secondary academy in Essex, Ofsted said in 2021 that pupils鈥 鈥渦nderstanding of health relationships, fundamental British values and protected characteristics is underdeveloped鈥. Meanwhile at Admiral Lord Nelson secondary in Hampshire, Ofsted said the 鈥榞ood鈥 school had 鈥渧ery good systems in place to secure the wellbeing and safety of pupils鈥. James Bowen, policy director at the National Association of Headteachers, warned against over-interpreting the data, but said schools needed to know there was a 鈥渃onsistent approach to inspection and that outcomes do not depend on the nature鈥 of the inspection team. 鈥淲e know that one of the biggest frustrations for school leaders is the way some inspectors become seemingly obsessed with individual and sometimes quite narrow lines of enquiry. 鈥淎 one-off comment or single piece of evidence can lead to inspectors narrowing their focus and losing sight of the wood for the trees.鈥 Ofsted declined to comment.