Your role in preparing for inspection

Sandra Parker, LA Performance Adviser

Sandra Shepherd, LA Education Lead

Ofsted

Varied roles of school business

managers and administrators

Some aspects of inspection that

may involve you • Safeguarding

• Single Central Record (SCR) and personnel files

• Pupil Premium funding

• PE and Sports Premium funding

• SEN funding

• Y7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch Up Premium funding

• School website

• Attendance

• Governance

Key points about your evidence

Remember that inspectors want to

• Check the culture of safeguarding in the school

Probing how robust and thorough processes are helps to establish this

• Triangulate evidence

Can what you say be verified in documentary evidence?

Does what you say verify what others have said

Different types of inspection

• Section 5 (full two-day inspections) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-

handbook-from-september-2015

• Section 8 (short one-day inspections)

Normally for inspection of ‘Good’ schools

Does the school remain good? Is safeguarding effective? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/handbook-for-short-

monitoring-and-unannounced-behaviour-school-inspections

Safeguarding

Single Central Record (SCR)

Inspectors will request that the following information is available at the

start of the inspection:

the single central record of the checks and vetting of all staff working

with pupils

School Inspection Handbook p20

Inspecting safeguarding

A separate document sets out the approach inspectors should take to

inspecting safeguarding:

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills

settings’, August 2016

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspecting-safeguarding-in-early-years-education-and-skills-from-september-2015

Inspecting arrangements for staff

recruitment and vetting • Inspectors should check the single central record early in inspections of

schools or colleges in the expectation that it will be complete and meet statutory requirements. During early years inspections, inspectors will check that the provider is able to produce evidence of suitability of relevant staff and adults.

• Inspectors should also check the setting’s policy and procedures for ensuring that visitors to the school are suitable and checked and monitored as appropriate, for example external speakers at school assemblies.

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’ section 5.4

Where an early years setting, school or college has recruited

volunteers who are not checked, inspectors should explore with senior

leaders and governors how the registered provider or school has

reached this decision – for example how it has assessed the level of

supervision provided.

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’ section 5.4

Volunteers

Trainee teachers

In the case of trainee teachers and students on placement, if they are employed by the setting, school or college, then they should be subject to the same checks under regulations as other members of staff. If trainee teachers are fee-funded, the school or setting should obtain written confirmation from the training provider that these checks have been carried out and that the trainee has been judged by the provider to be suitable to work with children. There is no requirement for a school to record details of fee-funded trainees on the single central record.

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’ section 5.4

If there is a minor administrative error on a single central record, such

as the absence of a date on the record, and this can be easily rectified

before the final team meeting, the school or college will be given the

chance to resolve the issue. Registered early years providers are

expected to make all records available at inspection. If evidence of

suitability is not kept on-site, inspectors can accept this evidence later

during the inspection as long as it is provided before final feedback is

given.

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’ section 5.4

Administrative errors

Administrative errors may be defined as follows:

• failure to record 1 or 2 dates

• individual entries that are illegible

• 1 or 2 omissions where it is clear that the information is already held by the school or college, but they have failed to transfer over the information in full to the single central record

‘Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings’ section 5.4

Definition of administrative errors

Personnel files • Inspectors may ask to see the personnel files of one or two

members of staff

• They may want to see

• ID checks have been done

• References were checked

• What questions were asked at interview

• The offer letter

• Match to SCR

Ofsted’s myth busting

Safeguarding

• There is no expectation or statutory requirement for the routine checking of personnel files by inspectors. Inspectors may look at a small sample of personnel records. Ofsted does not have expectations about the format in which staff records are maintained.

• Ofsted does not expect schools to retrospectively apply for references for staff appointed prior to and continuously employed since the introduction of the vetting and barring requirements.

School Inspection Handbook p15

Health and safety

• This is part of safeguarding

• You may have a specific H&S role as SBM or as a first-aider

• But office staff are also likely to need to know specifically about

pupils with medical needs

Ofsted’s myth busting

• Ofsted does not expect schools to take any specific set of steps

about site security. Schools should assess the risks posed within

their own context and take appropriate and proportionate steps to

keep children safe. In particular, inspectors do not have a pre-

determined view on the need for perimeter fences. They will

consider each school’s site security on its own merits.

School Inspection Handbook p16

Keep up to date

• Attend GSCB SCR Drop-In Sessions

• GSCB One Minute Guide: OMG 2 – Single Central Record https://www.gscb.org.uk/i-work-with-children-young-people-and-parents/safeguarding-in-education/

• Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) (Part 1 read by all staff; see Part 3 for Safer Recruitment, including pre-appointment checks; p40-42 for SCR) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2

• Inspectors may ask about governors’ or other leaders’ checks of SCR Who does this? How often? Can you/they evidence this? Impact of others’ checks – any follow-up actions?

• In a MAT, ensure that there is clarity around SCR responsibilities and what personnel files are held where

• Day before inspection, check through the SCR to remind yourself of any gaps and the reasons for these (e.g. awaiting staff member bringing in documentation). Can you evidence this?

• Inspectors may ask you more broadly about safeguarding children (as they would any member of staff), what you would do if you had any concerns and what kind of things would concern you

Other tips

Finances

Effectiveness of leadership and

management

Inspectors will consider whether governors:

• ensure that the school’s finances are properly managed and

can evaluate how the school is using the pupil premium, Year

7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium, primary PE and

sport premium, and special educational needs funding

School Inspection Handbook p45

Inspectors will gather evidence about the use of the pupil premium in relation to the following key issues:

• the level of pupil premium funding received by the school in the current academic year and levels of funding received in previous academic years

• how leaders and governors have spent the pupil premium, their rationale for this spending and its intended impact

• any differences made to the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils as shown by outcomes data and inspection evidence.

School Inspection Handbook p45-46

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and-alternative-provision-settings

Use of the Pupil Premium

In making judgements in schools, inspectors will consider:

• how effectively leaders use the primary PE and sport premium and

measure its impact on outcomes for pupils, and how effectively

governors hold them to account for this

School Inspection Handbook p42

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pe-and-sport-premium-for-primary-schools

PE and Sports Premium Funding

In evaluating progress in literacy and mathematics, inspectors will take into account the progress of those for whom the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium provides support.

School Inspection Handbook p60

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/year-7-literacy-and-numeracy-catch-up-premium-

guide-for-schools

Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch

Up Premium

Inspectors will consider the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in relation to the progress of all pupils nationally with similar starting points. Inspectors will examine the impact of funded support for them on removing any differences in progress and attainment. The expectation is that the identification of special educational needs leads to additional or different arrangements being made and a consequent improvement in progress.

School Inspection Handbook p61

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/your-pupils/special-educational-needs-and-disabilities-send/sencospot/

Special Educational Needs

How else can you support?

• Work effectively with governors to keep them up to date about financial matters

• Meet with nominated governors

• Attend governor meetings when requested, especially finance committee

• Become a staff governor or associate member

• Day before inspection, reminding key leaders about the amount of funding they get for these initiatives may be helpful

Website

Inspectors’ planning and preparation The planning will be informed by analysis of information on the school’s website (taking into account current government requirements for maintained schools and academy funding agreements and non-statutory guidance) including

• its pupil premium strategy (including rationale and evaluation)

• in primary schools the PE and sport premium

• in secondary schools the Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up premium

• the statutory sharing with parents of curriculum information (so the lead inspector can start to assess the breadth and balance of the school’s curriculum and whether it is likely to promote preparation for and an appreciation of life in modern Britain)

• the special educational needs (SEN) report

• the presence and suitability of the safeguarding guidance

• information about the promotion of equality of opportunity and other information for parents

School Inspection Handbook p17

Website Information

• Guidance for schools about information required on a maintained

school’s website is available at:

www.gov.uk/guidance/what-maintained-schools-must-publish-online

• Non-statutory guidance for academies and free schools about

information on their websites is available at:

www.gov.uk/guidance/what-academies-free-schools-and-colleges-

should-publish-online

Being prepared

• Always ensure the website is up to date, as inspectors will have

looked at this before the inspection

• Have a process for checking that the website meets requirements

• Who?

• How frequently?

• Evidence that checks have taken place

• Follow-up any omissions/updates

Attendance

Attendance information

Inspectors will request that the following information is available at the

start of the inspection:

• up-to-date attendance analysis for all groups of pupils

School Inspection Handbook p20

As part of the judgement for Personal Development, Behaviour and

Welfare, inspectors will consider:

• overall absence and persistent absence rates for all pupils, and

for different groups in relation to national figures for all pupils

• the extent to which low attenders are improving their attendance

over time and whether attendance is consistently low (in the lowest

10%)

• punctuality in arriving at school and at lessons School Inspection Handbook p55

Attendance and punctuality

Attendance data

• Absence overall

• Persistent absence

• Key groups to include:

• FSM/non-FSM

• Boys/girls

• SEN EHCP/SEN support/Non-SEN

• English as additional language (EAL)/English first language (if relevant)

• Compare all these to national

• Any patterns in attendance or punctuality data?

What else you can do • Remember the link between attendance issues and safeguarding – e.g.

processes to follow up absenteeism

• Know the reasons why some individual pupils – e.g. SEN – may have lower attendance rates

• Be prepared to talk about patterns in the data and what you do when attendance for an individual is low. How far will you go to ensure pupils attend school?

• Identify examples of pupils whose attendance has improved as a result of actions taken

• Keep on top of statutory processes – e.g. keeping LA informed of 10 day absences and any part-time timetables

Keeping up to date

• Guidance on GCC website, includes link to DfE guidance

https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/schoolsnet/your-

pupils/attendance/

• Gloucestershire Attendance Network Meetings (primary or

secondary)

Future changes to inspection

Consultation on changes to inspection from September 2019

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-launches-a-consultation-

on-proposals-for-changes-to-the-education-inspection-framework

Consultation closes on 5th April

Off-rolling

The proposed new inspection framework refers to ‘off-rolling’ which

Ofsted defines as:

‘The practice of removing a pupil from the school roll without a

formal, permanent exclusion or by encouraging a parent to remove

their child from the school roll, when the removal is primarily in the

interests of the school rather than in the best interests of the pupil.

Off-rolling in these circumstances is a form of ‘gaming’.’

From the Draft School Inspection Handbook 2019, p66

Off-rolling

• The proposed new handbook suggests a heightened focus on off-rolling ‘If inspectors determine the school to be off-rolling according to Ofsted’s definition, then the leadership and management of the school are likely to be judged to be inadequate.’

From the Draft School Inspection Handbook 2019, p66

• Patterns in attendance figures may initiate a closer look at whether off-rolling is taking place

• Be clear about what codes to use and know why pupils have been removed from roll

Any questions?