There are two words guaranteed to chill any teacher’s heart: Ofsted inspection. The inspection — usually held at very short notice — will judge the school (or nursery or childminder, for that matter) on a wide range of issues, and the result can affect the school greatly. Who, after all, wants to send their child to a school which has been graded as “inadequate” while an establishment deemed to be “outstanding” is sure to attract future pupils.

 It is not quite that simple. So what do the various grades mean and how can a parent interpret Ofsted results to help them choose the best school for their child?
Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. It inspects schools to provide information to parents, to promote improvement and to hold schools to account for the public money they receive. 

These inspections are required by law and provide an independent assessment of the standards of education in schools. They check whether children are achieving as much as they can. They do not normally last longer than two days and the number of inspectors going round a school will depend on its size and what type of school it is.
 Schools are graded from one to four, with one being “outstanding”. Two is “good”; three means “requires improvement” and four denotes “inadequate”. All parents should receive a copy of their school’s Ofsted inspection report.

 What are the inspectors looking at when they make a visit? They want to see what a school is really like, which is why inspections are arranged at such short notice. Ofsted inspectors do not require teachers to undertake extra work specifically for a visit, nor do they ask students to carry out special assignments for them.
 Of course, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is noted, together with the progress and welfare of the pupils. 

Children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also scrutinised. The inspectors may choose to drop in on different lessons so they can observe various activities and see how the children are being taught, as well as their behaviour and attitude to learning.

They will talk to the headteacher and governors to get a good idea of how well the school is led and managed. Staff and pupils are given the chance to voice their opinions through online questionnaires. 

Ofsted says outstanding schools have some common factors. They offer a rich curriculum which engages the pupils and allows them to ask questions. In addition, all those involved in schools judged to be outstanding —whether they are pupils, teachers or support staff — should take a real pride in the school and in its place in the community. 

On personal development, behaviour and wellbeing, an outstanding school will ensure pupils can explain accurately and confidently how to keep themselves healthy. They must be able to make informed choices about healthy eating, fitness and their emotional and mental wellbeing. They will also have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and be confident in staying safe from abuse and exploitation.

 Conversely, a school judged to be requiring improvement may not do a good job teaching children how to maintain their wellbeing. Attendance and punctuality may be poor, compared with national averages.

 Parents also have the opportunity to voice their opinions in an online questionnaire, called Parent View. This online portal can be used to comment about aspects of school life at any point — they do not need to wait until an inspection is taking place. Inspectors take into consideration all the views, together with the evidence gathered during an inspection, before they make a decision about the overall effectiveness of a school. 

 The latest and past Ofsted reports for schools are usually available online and parents considering sending their child to a particular school should take a good look at them, along with reading the school’s handbook. 

When looking at past reports, remember a school may not necessarily have an inspection every year — a school judged to be “good” at its last inspection normally receives a short one-day inspection every three years or so. If a school was judged as requiring improvement at its last inspection, it will continue to be monitored by inspectors and another visit will occur within approximately two years.

 However many reports you read, nothing can quite replace taking a good look at the school in person — you can get much more of a “feel” for the way the school is run and whether it is likely to be suitable for your child. 

An open day is an excellent opportunity to see all the facilities but if the school is willing to show parents around on an ordinary working day, so much the better.
Speak to some parents of pupils already there and find out their views. Look at the children — do they seem happy and eager to learn, or are they disruptive? But be realistic and do not hope for angelic behaviour from all the pupils. Whatever the Ofsted report says, that may be expecting a bit too much.

Inspecting Jewish studies:

A Jewish school will also undergo a Pikuach inspection, to report on the quality of its Jewish education and Jewish life. Like Ofsted, Pikuach visits at very short notice. Inspectors observe the children’s tefillah as well as lessons and consider not only aspects such as the quality and effectiveness of the teaching but also the overall Jewish ethos of the school. Grade one means outstanding; a two is good; three requires improvement and a four denotes inadequate. 

Signs of an outstanding school might include high levels of Hebrew literacy, appropriate to the age of the children and the school’s aims (eg in a school with a high number of non-Jewish pupils, there might not be an expectation that they all learn Hebrew). An inadequate school might be failing to hold daily tefillah or properly promote spiritual and moral development.