14 September 2001
Graham Lane, chair of the LGA's education executive, gave Ofsted 'full marks' for the plans which were outlined in a consultation document published on September 10.
He welcomed the intention to scrap the grading system for teachers, which he said had been 'a mistake', and praised the idea of giving local education authorities the opportunity to comment on schools' strengths and weaknesses before inspections took place.
Lane also endorsed the principle of having shorter, scaled-down inspections for schools that had established a good track record during previous Ofsted inspections.
He said this approach would reduce the administrative burden on schools and could help to identify problems earlier on.
'We don't always need the detailed analysis we've had in the past because there is so much other data available now, such as the key stage tests. Shorter inspections will more quickly pick up areas where we need to look at things in more depth,' Lane told Public Finance.
The consultation document envisages making the short model the norm for primary schools from 2003. For secondary schools it proposes a flexible system based on core inspection areas, with additional areas being added according to the school's individual circumstances and data such as test results.
Other suggestions out for consultation include giving pupils the opportunity to comment on their teachers and schools in pre-inspection questionnaires, and boosting the involvement of parents in the process by giving post-inspection briefings.
Schools could also be asked to canvass the opinions of interested parties in the community, such as local employers, on the education they provide. In particular, this would allow businesses to comment on how well schools taught the new post-16 vocational qualifications.
The proposals are intended to make the inspection regime less adversarial and to ease the pressure it places on teachers.
Launching the consultation, Tomlinson said the changes would make inspections 'more supportive of school improvement, while losing none of the rigour and objectivity associated with Ofsted inspections'.
But the National Union of Teachers gave the proposals the cold shoulder. 'The inclusion of the views of pupils will make teachers vulnerable to the malicious minority,' general secretary Doug McAvoy warned. He added: 'Inspection will continue to contribute to teachers leaving rather than staying in the profession.'
PFsep2001
