Ofsted's inspection framework disproportionately disadvantages schools serving deprived communities and those educating higher numbers of pupils with special educational needs (SEND), research by school leaders finds.
A new analysis by school leaders' union NAHT found that a third of schools with above-average free school meal eligibility received a 'needs attention' judgement for achievement, compared to fewer than one in five schools with below-average eligibility.
Reviewing more than 650 inspection reports, NAHT also found one in five (20%) schools with ‘above average’ numbers of pupils with special educational needs received a ‘needs attention’ judgement for ‘attendance and behaviour’, compared to one in 10 (9%) schools with ‘below average’ numbers of pupils with special educational needs.
NAHT General Secretary Paul Whiteman said the new framework, which was launched in September last year, had ‘compounded’ longstanding concerns rather than addressing them, adding that the requirement that schools meet or exceed national averages to achieve the 'expected' standard was an ‘impossible’ target for all schools to meet simultaneously.
The findings raise particular concerns for the Government's ambition to increase SEND inclusion in mainstream schools. Cllr Amanda Hopgood, chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Children, Young People and Families Committee, said Ofsted's framework should place greater focus on inclusive practice and whether schools meet the needs of the communities they serve.
