New Ofsted Framework 2015

A School Improvers' Charter?

My main BLOG on the New Ofsted Framework is on the iAbacus website www.iabacus.co.uk/blog but here are the headlines....

The new Ofsted Framework for September 2015 has:

• lifted the “Effectiveness of Leadership” to the top position in Areas for Judgement
• fully recognised the relationship between self-evaluation and action to lead and maintain improvement.
• decided that when a school is good it will only need a light touch inspection and if outstanding it may even be exempt
• will leave untouched professionals with a proven capacity in order to focus on settings requiring improvement. There is even a promise to, “offer more support”. 
• signified a move to a System Leader role where inspection and support are purposefully entwined
• continued the current inspection regime for schools previously judged Requires Improvement or Inadequate.

The critical measure in the new inspection process is clearly, “leadership’s capacity to drive improvement”  

Most significantly there appears a real attempt to work with colleagues in schools and move to a professional development approach signalled by: the re-emphasis on the removal of Lesson Grades; the involvement of senior staff in observations and the strengthening of feedback to individuals and groups.This means that the cycle of school improvement from vision through evaluation to CPD is completed. No more separate SEFs and SIPs as Self-evaluation, Analysis and Action Planning link in a continuous and virtuous circle.

For more on the detail go to www.iabacus.co.uk/blog

Conclusion

I feel really optimistic because I’m hoping leaders with capacity will seize this opportunity to save time and reduce bureaucracy for staff.  Heads can now write succinct, simple, school improvement plans on a few pages of A4 but I'm also hoping that the new iAbacus website (due to be launched this week) will show more than our current 1,000 users that "developing a staff's capacity to self-evaluate and drive improvement" is best achieved by using the iAbacus.

It's go to be the most effective way to create straightforward, secure, on-line, collaborative plans which can be accessed anywhere, anytime. The iAbacus was designed by and for those who want to, “look at what they do with a view to doing it better” and “do it simply”.  I'm pleased that Ofsted are, at last, coming round to the same view....

iAbacus on-line School Improvement Evaluation and Planning tool www.iabacus.co.uk