Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of bringing school improvement within the terms of reference of regular Ofsted inspections.

Ofsted plays an important role within the government’s strategies for accountability and school improvement.

Ofsted is not an improvement agency, but its work encourages improvement through effective inspection. There are several aspects to this, including: the publication of Ofsted’s inspection frameworks and handbooks, which help to set standards and expectations; the engagement and feedback that takes place during inspections; the reporting of strengths and areas that need improvement; and the publication and dissemination of insights gained though inspection, for example through thematic surveys and reports.

Ofsted inspections provide a diagnosis and in some cases may trigger support and intervention mechanisms, but the primary responsibility for improvement rests with schools and trusts, with support and intervention from others where necessary, including through the department’s Regional Directors. This separation of responsibilities is important in maintaining the independence of inspection.

The government’s primary strategy for school and trust improvement is to commission growth in the highest quality trusts, as they have the best levers to secure sustainable improvement and are directly accountable for the performance of their schools. More information about high quality trusts can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-high-quality-trusts.