Ofsted has committed to enlisting “at least” one inspector with “specific” sector experience in “most” of its inspection teams from November.
Today’s announcement on inspection team structures will come into effect when the watchdog’s proposed inspections overhaul is rolled out later this year.
The revamp comes after Ofsted heard during its Big Listen consultation that its inspectors do not always have the necessary expertise of particular types of provision, such as special schools or apprenticeship providers.
The watchdog said it will “make the best use” of Ofsted inspectors’ (OIs) current sector knowledge to deploy them onto visits of providers that match their expertise to “specific” types of provision.
Chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said: “All inspection teams will have the right blend of inspection expertise and current sector insight.
“This will help us better understand the context of the schools and colleges we inspect, to provide a fair and accurate report for parents”.
Oliver also announced that inspectors employed as His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) will only be able to lead visits from November in a bid to “draw on expertise” and keep “consistency” across the country.
This means only HMIs, or contracted Ofsted inspectors (OIs) with HMI experience, will lead inspection teams.
An Ofsted spokesperson said around two-thirds to three-quarters of all inspections are currently led by HMIs.
Inspections led by OIs with recent HMI experience (currently within the last three years) will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
“We want to make sure our inspections are as consistent as possible, from Cornwall to Northumberland,” Oliver said.
He added: “We have already put stronger quality assurance measures in place, and utilising the expertise of our workforce as effectively as we can is another significant step forward.”
Oliver encouraged delegates at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) conference this week to join Ofsted as an inspector.
An Ofsted spokesperson told FE Week that it currently had around 2,000 people registered as interested in becoming an OI.
Oliver said at the conference: “You can help us even more by contributing your skills and becoming an Ofsted inspector. The more of you that join, the better I can build a peer-led inspectorate, and I better can match inspector expertise to the providers out there. So get involved. Please be part of the system.”
Leadership unions this week warned they will ask their members to quit as inspectors if Ofsted did not delay the rollout of new inspections until September 2026.
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