OFSTED inspection framework

This chapter looks at how measuring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of your inclusion strategy and policy is an essential part of making inclusion happen. Self-evaluation is now key to the new OFSTED inspection framework. Shorter inspections will mean a much greater focus on the ability of schools to undertake effective self-evaluation. A range of self-evaluation approaches and tools are considered, and advice is offered on how to complete Self-Evaluation Forms. 

Group data is particularly important in tracking groups of pupils within the inclusion framework who are underachieving. The new OFSTED Inspection Framework requires that there is evidence of progress and outcomes from specific groups of pupils. 

Changes to OFSTED inspections took place from September 2005 - these are set out in the document Every Child Matters - Framework for the Inspection of Schools in England from September 2005. Inspections will continue to give a view of the overall quality of the school, what it does well and not so well. There will be, as before, key issues and areas for further improvement. However, there are some key changes, including the following ... 

In the Ofsted (2005b) Framework for the Inspection of Children s Services, a set of subsidiary outcome measures are provided for each one, pins a number of key judgements. The latter includes a particular focus on more vnlnerable children and young people who may require additional support to attain the specified outcomes for example, children who are in the care of social services ( looked after ) and/or are designated as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Box 2.2 provides an example of the above for the first of the five major outcomes being healthy . 

There are many different approaches to self-evaluation and inclusion, with a range of tools, performance indicators and targets available to schools. It is important to adopt a self-evaluation strategy and a range of tools which best fit the nature and context of your school. Self-evaluation is about helping schools ensure continuous improvement and should not be undertaken solely for the purpose of inspection OFSTED recognises the importance of self-evaluation as a continuous process that is complemented from time to time by external inspection Every Child Matters - Framework for the Inspection of Schools in England from September 2005 - OFSTED, 2005). 

The Framework also refleas the requirement in the Ghildren Aa 2004 for OFSTED to develop (in partnership with others) a coherent framework for the integrated inspection of children s services. This means that judgements made in individual school inspections can feed into the Joint Area Reviews of Children s Services which will be carried out in every local authority area in England over a three-year period. These reviews will ewduate the quality of provision in an area and the extent to which children and young people are achieving the Every Child Matters outcomes. 

The key focus will be on service provision and impact as a whole, rather than on the inspection of individual services. In the future some aspects of Extended School services may be inspeaed through joint Area Reviews. The Children Act 2004 requires local authorities to co-ordinate all the services provided by statutory, voluntary or private providers for children and young people aged 0-19 as part of an integrated children s service. The Framework for the Inspection of Children s Services sets out the principles to be applied in all relevant inspections of services for children and young people. Guidance for these is found in three main documents published by OFSTED (2005) ... 

OFSTED (September 2005) Every Child Matters - Framework for the Inspection of Schools in England, OFSTED. 

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