Ofsted has announced proposals for fairer education inspections and new, more detailed report cards.
The proposed report cards are aimed at giving parents detailed information about standards across more areas of practice in their child’s school, early years or further education provider.
The changes would replace the ‘single-word judgement’ with a new five-point grading scale for each evaluation area. There will also be increased focus on support for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “The continued use of a single-word judgement and how this can accurately reflect the complexities of the child-protection system has previously raised concerns. We are pleased Ofsted has acted on our calls for a much greater focus on inclusion, and on whether a setting is playing a meaningful role in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
“We would also like to see this important work informed by the adoption of a nationally agreed definition of mainstream inclusion.”