Ofsted has faced a “difficult” year in which it has “rightly” come under scrutiny over Ruth Perry’s death, and faced “significant” financial challenges, its annual report and accounts states. The watchdog has has published its The documents cover the last nine months of Amanda Spielman’s tenure as chief inspector and the first three months under Sir Martyn Oliver. Here’s what we learned. 1. 鈥楢 difficult year鈥 Ofsted said its guiding principle was to be a 鈥渇orce for improvement鈥 and the sectors it inspects and regulates 鈥渕ust have confidence in our ability to improve standards鈥. But they added the last year 鈥渉as been a difficult one鈥. A coroner ruled last year that an Ofsted inspection contributed to Perry鈥檚 death. In response, Oliver launched his “Big Listen” consultation in order to shape proposed reforms. 鈥淲e launched the Big Listen at a time when Ofsted has 鈥 rightly 鈥 been under scrutiny following the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry last year. HMCI and everyone at Ofsted are determined that such tragedies should never happen again,” the report stated. The watchdog said stakeholder engagement continues to be 鈥渁 critical part of our response, with government, the public and sector representatives鈥. 2. Financial position a 鈥榮ignificant challenge鈥 The civil service pay increase last year meant Ofsted’s staffing costs were 鈥渟ignificantly more than we had been funded for鈥. Managing the financial position has been a 鈥渟ignificant challenge鈥. The watchdog said it required 鈥渟ome significant and difficult choices to mitigate the risk of overspending鈥 and engaged 鈥渆xtensively鈥 with DfE and the Treasury to 鈥渁gree the savings proposals we put in place鈥. However, Ofsted has not set out what savings it made. 3. Digital developments ‘paused’ Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector, said that as Ofsted responds to its 鈥淏ig Listen鈥 consultation, it 鈥渨ill need to marry the calls for change with the need to provide value for money鈥. Ofsted said it had to slash its spend on digital developments during the year, in response to underfunded civil service pay rises. It did this by 鈥減ausing work on a number of developments鈥, including a new service it was building to 鈥渟upport education inspections鈥. Ofsted has not set out what the new service was, but said it would look into resuming it in the run up to the next spending review. 4. Auditors downgrade watchdog The government鈥檚 internal audit agency previously gave Ofsted a 鈥渟ubstantial opinion鈥, meaning its governance, risk management and control was 鈥渁dequate and effective鈥. This has now changed to 鈥渕oderate鈥, meaning it is 鈥渓argely adequate and effective鈥. Ofsted said this reflected the impact of external factors, such as 鈥渟ignificant criticism鈥 of the inspection system and 鈥渁dverse media coverage that Ofsted has received in the past year鈥. 5. Departing chief Spielman got a pay rise Before Spielman left Ofsted at Christmas, it appears she received a pay rise. However there was a pay increase for most staff of between 4.5 to 6 per cent, the report added. Spielman鈥檚 salary rose from the 拢190,000 to 拢195,000 pay bracket to 拢200,000 to 拢205,000. Her successor Oliver is paid between 拢160,000 to 拢165,000 a year. Neither have received bonus payments. 6. More grades changed and inspections ‘incomplete’ This year, Ofsted changed the overall judgment given to schools on 36 occasions following a quality assurance process, nearly double the 19 instances the year before. And 51 state schools inspections were found to be incomplete in 2023-24, more than double the 24 recorded the year before. 7. Inspection target missed due to pause Ofsted conducted 6,696 inspections of state-funded schools, missing its target by 417 inspections, or six per cent. It said this was caused by pausing routine inspections, in the wake of Perry鈥檚 inquest, between December 2023 and January 2024 to roll out mental health awareness training for inspectors. 8. Big Listen changes will come in next year Ofsted reiterated that it will consult on any major changes it proposes as a result of the 鈥淏ig Listen鈥. It plans to put those changes in place during the 2024-25 academic year.