05 November 2004
Ofsted is determined to stay in London, despite government pressure to decentralise to cut costs, its senior officials said this week.
In July, the education inspectorate announced that three 'core' regional centres in Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham were to be established to manage Ofsted's day-to-day inspection work.
At the Commons education select committee on November 3, Ofsted's director of finance, Jonathan Thompson, acknowledged that relocating out of the capital would save money. But he added that the practical effects on Ofsted's work needed to be taken into consideration.
He told MPs that Ofsted was considering the implications of the Lyons' review on public sector relocation.
Chief schools inspector David Bell said the review had given Ofsted an opportunity to consider where its various functions were best located.
Ofsted is required to reduce its costs by 20% — equivalent to £40m — by April 2008, but Bell insisted that the body could meet the efficiency targets while continuing to offer rigorous and independent inspections.
Some 'trade-offs' would be required, Bell said. For instance, routine school inspections will no longer include a subject-by-subject breakdown. 'But we will still give a very sharp analysis about what is working and not working,' he said.
PFnov2004
