红桃影视

Amanda Spielman steps down at the end of this month after seven years at Ofsted, leaving an education system with more schools rated 鈥榞ood鈥� or better.

But how much of the change during her tenure as chief inspector is due to genuine school improvement, and how much is down to changes to inspection?

FFT Education Datalab shared its 飞颈迟丑听Schools Week.

More schools 鈥榞ood鈥欌��

Datalab compared the grade profile of all schools in December 2016, just before Spielman took over, with the most recent grade profile in November 30 this year.

In 2016, 87 per cent of schools were judged 鈥榞ood鈥� or 鈥榦utstanding鈥�. Today that stands at 89 per cent.

The increase has been driven by a rise in the proportion of schools rated 鈥榞ood鈥� 鈥� from 67 to 73 per cent, and a corresponding drop in the proportion rated 鈥榬equires improvement鈥� from 9.7 to 8.5 per cent, and 鈥榠nadequate鈥� from 3.4 to 2.5 per cent.

鈥�but fewer 鈥榦utstanding鈥� grades

However, the proportion of schools rated 鈥榦utstanding鈥� also fell, from 20 per cent seven years ago to 16 per cent today.

鈥極utstanding鈥� schools were exempt from routine inspection for about a decade until a policy change in 2020. Many have since lost their top rating.

翱蹿蝉迟别诲鈥檚 framework also changed in 2019, focusing more on what is taught in schools than outcomes for pupils.

Most schools with a negative grade improve

The analysis also found that relatively few schools that were graded 鈥榬equires improvement鈥� or 鈥榠nadequate鈥� before Spielman took over remain so today.

Just 3 per cent of primary, 4 per cent of special and 9 per cent of secondary schools had judgments of less than 鈥榞ood鈥� at the beginning and end of the her appointment.

Do MATs boost Ofsted grade?

The number of schools in multi-academy trusts has ballooned during her tenure.

Datalab found the grades of schools in large trusts 鈥� those with 10 or more schools 鈥� have improved substantially.

In 2016, 66 per cent of schools in large MATs were judged 鈥榞ood鈥� or better, compared with 89 per cent of schools maintained by councils or in smaller trusts. As of November this year, 90 per cent of the same group of schools in large MATs had a positive Ofsted grade, the same as those in other structures.

But chief statistician Dave Thomson said 鈥渕ore needs to be done鈥� to establish causality between MAT membership and improving Ofsted grades.

Poorer schools have improved鈥�

Ofsted has often faced criticism that schools with more deprived intakes are less likely to get top grades.

Schools Week聽analysis found schools in the poorest areas are now getting better grades, but there is still a huge gap with their wealthier counterparts. Datalab鈥檚 analysis supports our findings.

鈥楪ood鈥� or 鈥榦utstanding ratings fell in schools with the lowest free school meals rate. 

At primary level, the proportion of these schools with a top grade fell from 96 per cent in 2016 to 95 per cent this year. At secondary level, the fall was from 95 to 93 per cent.

Schools with the highest proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals tended to improve on reinspection.

At primary level, 80 per cent of schools in the top quintile were good or better in 2016, versus 86 per cent in 2023. At secondary level, the increase was from 57 to 74 per cent.

鈥�but they鈥檙e more likely to have been inspected

Datalab pointed out that while 鈥渙n the surface鈥� this showed improved grades for disadvantaged schools, the most deprived schools were more likely to have had a full inspection since January 2016.

Of the least deprived, 40 per cent of primaries and 57 per cent of secondaries have been inspected since 2016, compared with 65 per cent of primaries and 83 per cent of secondaries in the most deprived quintile.

Hard to tell if schools are improving

Thomson said his analysis 鈥渞aises the question of what it means to be 鈥榞ood鈥欌��. He pointed to the change in the early years of the coalition government when 鈥榮atisfactory鈥� became 鈥榬equires improvement鈥�, which may have driven an increase in 鈥榞ood鈥� schools.

He also questioned how well the public understood the the differences in Ofsted framework and whether differences in framework could lead to different judgments about a school.

鈥淭his matters because claims are made about the quality of the schools鈥� system based on increasing percentages of schools judged 鈥榞ood鈥� or 鈥榦utstanding鈥�. But I鈥檓 not sure we have much idea from this data whether schools are improving or not.鈥�