Ofsted has updated several of their inspection handbooks. These will be effective from September 2022. Gov.uk has provided details on these new updates.
The names of inspections have been changed:
- Section 5 inspections are now graded inspections
- Section 8 inspections of good and outstanding schools are now ungraded inspections.
- Inspections with no formal designation and unannounced behaviour visits are now urgent inspections.
Section 5 and 8 handbooks are now combined into a new school inspection handbook and a monitoring handbook. The school inspection handbook will cover graded, ungraded, and urgent inspections and the monitoring handbook will cover monitoring inspections.
It is important to note that the ‘Inspection and the COVID-19 pandemic’ sections within previous handbooks have now been dissolved and incorporated where relevant throughout handbooks moving forward.
Ofsted has also changed some terminology throughout the handbook in line with new Department for Education guidance. The wording ‘fixed term exclusions’ is now referred to as ‘suspensions and previous references to ‘gender’ now refer only to ‘sex’ following legal advice on protected characteristics.
It is important to note that the ‘Privacy notice’ is now being referred to as ‘Gathering personal information on inspection’. There is an increased focus on inspectors’ powers to gather, use and store evidence.
If you have a query regarding the updates that FusionHR can help with then don’t hesitate to get in touch either by phone, 01924 827869, or via our website.
