红桃影视

The chief inspector of Ofsted will say today that parents 鈥渟eem to support the broad approach that we have set out鈥� in plans for report cards.

Sir Martyn Oliver will also tell an event run by Parentkind that new report cards would be 鈥渕uch closer to a child鈥檚 school report鈥�, insisting they would give a 鈥渕ore balanced picture of schools鈥�.

The watchdog is on plans to replace the current system of four grades across up to six areas with five grades over up to 11.

The proposals have gone down badly among many leaders and unions, with ASCL this week urging Ofsted back to the drawing board.

But Ofsted said its own commissioned research 鈥渟hows high parent support for Ofsted鈥檚 report card proposals鈥�.

Ofsted reveals YouGov parent polling

YouGov polled 1,090 parents. Ofsted said it found 67 per cent said they preferred the proposed new report cards to current reports.

Eighty-six per cent said the information was easy to understand, and 84 per cent 鈥渇ound the use of colour coding useful鈥�, Ofsted said.

Two thirds of parents (66 per cent) 鈥渟aid they support Ofsted continuing to grade schools on a scale鈥�. Just 15 per cent said they preferred the current reports.

Oliver will say today that Ofsted will report on 鈥渁 much wider range of areas – things that matter to parents.

鈥淭hings like behaviour, achievement, attendance, teaching and the curriculum, leadership and governance, and inclusion 鈥� really looking in detail at how schools make sure their pupils all have a sense of belonging, especially those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable, or have special educational needs.鈥�

For each area, 鈥減arents will be able to see a clear grade, and a description of what we found when we inspected the school.

‘A more balanced picture’

鈥淩eport cards will help give a more balanced picture of schools. Because the best schools aren鈥檛 perfect and have areas where they could do better, and the schools which might be seen as 鈥榳eaker鈥� will have aspects of their work that they do really well.

鈥淚n that way a school鈥檚 report card will be much closer to a child鈥檚 school report. Going back to my art teacher days, the one-word grade paints a monochrome picture of a school, we want to paint it in colour.鈥�

Parents were also asked which of the 11 proposed evaluation areas for schools they considered the most useful.

Fifty-one per cent said 鈥榖ehaviour and attitudes鈥�, while 48 per cent cited 鈥榩ersonal development and wellbeing鈥�. Forty-one per cent said 鈥榮afeguarding鈥� and 35 per cent 鈥榓chievement鈥�.

Oliver will say that Ofsted鈥檚 proposed approach 鈥渨ill drive ever higher standards for children.

鈥淚t will give schools an independent and expert assessment of what they鈥檙e doing well and where they could improve. It will validate, assure, and celebrate their hard work, and shine a light on how they can do even better.

鈥淥f course, what I鈥檝e set out today are our proposals, they are not set in stone. I鈥檓 sure there are things that could be better. Things we could refine. But we are encouraged that parents seem to support the broad approach that we have set out.鈥�

‘Serious concerns’

Pepe Di鈥橧asio, general secretary of the ASCL leaders鈥� union, said: 鈥淲e support the principle of report cards and broadly agree with Ofsted鈥檚 proposals on the areas to be evaluated.

鈥淗owever, we have serious concerns about the proposed five-point grading scale. Ofsted鈥檚 plan to introduce 鈥榮trong鈥� and 鈥榚xemplary鈥� ratings effectively suggests that being 鈥榮ecure鈥� is not good enough.鈥�

He warned the approach 鈥渞isks intensifying the pressure on education staff at a time when workload pressures are high, wellbeing is often poor, and teacher shortages are widespread.

鈥淔urthermore, it is difficult to see how inspectors could reliably make so many finely balanced judgements across multiple areas in a single inspection.

鈥淲e doubt that parents would support a system which worsens teacher shortages and is at significant risk of being unreliable and inconsistent.鈥�