How is a section 5 graded inspection different from a section 8 ungraded inspection?
Graded Inspections or Section 5 Inspections
- From September 2024, inspectors will not make an overall effectiveness judgement. Schools will no longer be described as being ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ overall
- Inspectors will evaluate the full framework and will grade schools on each of the four key judgements:
- quality of education
- behaviour and attitudes
- personal development
- leadership and management
- The grades in each of these key judgements will still be ‘outstanding’, ‘good’, ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’
- Where relevant, inspectors will also make a graded judgement (using the same terms) for early years, and/or sixth form provision.
- Safeguarding will be judged as effective of ineffective.
- Inspectors will conduct ‘deep dives’ (see para 244 to 247, 262 and 266 of the School Inspection Handbook)
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Ungraded Inspections or Section 8 Inspections
- Inspectors will not make individual graded judgements
- The inspection focuses on ‘determining whether the school has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection’ (see paragraphs 55 to 57 of the School Inspection Handbook)
- Inspectors will not conduct ‘deep dives’. Instead, they will look at three or four focus areas. In a primary school, these are likely to include early English and maths, alongside evaluation of the wider curriculum though groups of subjects
- Inspectors will usually focus on aspects of leadership and management, quality of education, behaviour and attitude, attendance, pupils’ personal development; and also staff well-being, inclusion, gaming and off-rolling (see paragraphs 157 to 160 of the School Inspection Handbook for further detail)
- The lead inspector is likely to conduct a further telephone call with the school’s head teacher/leadership some time following the educationally focused call, to agree the focus areas or lines of enquiry for the inspection
- Safeguarding is usually inspected in the same way as in a graded inspection.
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