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Revised EYFS Statutory Framework from September 2021

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Revised EYFS Statutory Framework from September 2021

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Working with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage : Principles into Practice by Julian Grenier

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Working with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage : Principles into Practice by Julian Grenier

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Birth To 5 Matters - Guidance by the sector, for the sector

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Birth to 5 Matters is published by Early Education on behalf of the Early Years Coalition. Early Education is a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 313082) and in Scotland (no. SC039472) and a company limited by guarantee. View our Privacy notice

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Introduction

1. This handbook describes the main activities carried out during inspections of maintained schools and academies in England under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. It sets out the evaluation criteria that inspectors use to make their judgements and on which they report.

2. This handbook is primarily a guide for inspectors on how to carry out school inspections. However, it is made available to schools and other organisations to ensure that they are informed about the processes and procedures of inspection. It seeks to balance the need for consistency in inspections with the flexibility required to respond to the individual circumstances of each school. This handbook should not be regarded as a set of inflexible rules, but as an account of the procedures of inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement when they use this handbook. It applies to school inspections carried out from September 2019 under the education inspection framework (EIF).

3. The handbook has 3 parts:

Part 1. How schools will be inspected: This contains information about the processes before, during and after the inspection

Part 2. The evaluation schedule: This contains the evaluation criteria inspectors use to make the graded judgements about schools and includes examples of the kinds of evidence and activities used by inspectors to make their judgements

Part 3. Applying the EIF in different contexts: This contains guidance on how to apply the EIF in specific contexts and provisions

Privacy notice

4. During inspection, inspectors will collect information about staff and children at the school by looking at school records, responses to the pupil survey and the staff survey where appropriate, and by observing the everyday life of the school. We use this information to prepare our report and for the purposes set out in our privacy policy. In most cases, we will not record names. However, some of the information may make it possible to identify a particular individual. We will not publish any information that identifies an individual in the report, but we will usually name the headteacher and the proprietor (where applicable).

5. Individuals and organisations have legal requirements to provide information to Ofsted. The Education Act 2005 gives our inspectors the power to inspect and take copies of any relevant records kept by schools. Regulations enable the Department for Education ( DfE) to provide Ofsted with individual pupils' information that relates to school inspections.

6. In the vast majority of schools, we will gather evidence electronically using a range of devices, including laptops, mobile phones and tablets. All evidence is securely transferred to Ofsted's systems. Our inspectors may take photographs of pupils' work. These will be stored as evidence, but not retained by the inspector personally.

Inspection during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic

7. This section sets out our approach as inspections resume. It covers how we will reflect the COVID-19 context and the disruption it has caused to all education providers when making judgements. We will keep our handbooks and methodology under review as circumstances change and we continue to emerge from the pandemic.

8. To minimise burdens on the sector, we have made a few changes to the inspection handbook. We outline here the additional considerations for inspectors when inspecting schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. This section should be read alongside the other parts of the inspection handbook.

Preparation and planning

9. During the preparation phone call with the headteacher, the lead inspector will seek to understand the specific impact of COVID-19 on the school community and how the school's leaders responded to the situation.

10. This discussion will also explore how the school implemented the curriculum remotely and what, if any, elements of remote education remain in place at the time of inspection.

11. If the school offers early years provision or is a maintained nursery school, the inspector will also determine whether it is disapplying (or has previously disapplied) the following requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS):

learning and development

assessment - progress check at age 2 and EYFS profile

staff qualification and ratios

paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate

12. In this conversation, the headteacher and lead inspector will agree safety protocols that the inspection team will follow to ensure that the inspection is completed in a COVID-19 secure way.

13. Given these additional discussions, the conversation may take longer than 90 minutes.

Curriculum

14. Inspectors recognise that most schools will have been unable to implement the curriculum in the usual way during the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognise that schools were not required by the DfE to provide education to all pupils from March 2020 to July 2020 due to COVID-19, and may not have been doing so. Throughout the inspection, inspectors will seek to understand how the school adapted and prioritised the curriculum from September 2020.

15. This will include exploring how the school implemented its curriculum remotely. Inspectors will also look at how subject leaders and teachers have identified pupils' learning gaps and new starting points, and how they have responded to that in their curriculum planning.

Remote education

16. Ofsted does not have a preferred model for remote education. Throughout the inspection, inspectors will discuss the decisions that school leaders have taken and how they have implemented them. The quality of remote education between March and August 2020 will not impact on our judgement of the school's quality of education.

17. Where remote education remains in place, inspectors may observe remote teaching and review materials. We will only expect to see the school's typical approach to remote education, and do not expect schools to arrange anything solely for inspection.

18. To understand the implementation of the curriculum, inspectors may discuss remote education with teachers, parents and carers, and pupils. They may also review completed work and teaching materials. This will be the case regardless of whether remote education is in place at the time of inspection.

19. Given the above, when we refer to the implementation of the curriculum in this handbook we are including remote education.

External data

20. Inspectors will consider available external data throughout the inspection. However, they will be mindful of the age of this data, especially around statutory assessment and qualifications, when making judgements.

21. Inspectors will not expect or accept internal data from schools either instead of or in addition to published data.

Leadership

22. We recognise that responding to COVID-19 has placed great demands on school leaders and may have disrupted schools' development plans.

23. Inspectors will seek to understand how school leaders supported the school community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, for example by understanding how:

remote education was put in place and monitored

teachers and support staff were prepared for remote education

vulnerable pupils were kept safe and prioritised for face-to-face education

parents were kept up to date with developments and changes

COVID-19-related staff absence impacted on the running of the school

staff and pupils' well-being have been promoted

Safeguarding and attendance

24. The COVID-19 pandemic increased safeguarding risks. Inspectors will pay close attention to how school leaders adapted approaches to safeguarding during the pandemic to make sure that:

vulnerable pupils were prioritised for face-to-face education in school

safeguarding procedures remained effective for those receiving remote education, as well as those attending school

Inspectors will discuss how safeguarding arrangements have changed over time due to the pandemic, and how school leaders have made sure that they remain effective.

25. Inspectors will discuss attendance patterns with school leaders to understand how the pandemic specifically affected the individual school. They will want to understand how, in the circumstances, the school ensured the best possible attendance for those pupils eligible to attend in person. Attendance between March 2020 and March 2021 will not impact on our judgement of the school.

26. Inspectors recognise that the context in which schools operate has changed as a result of the pandemic. Therefore, they will consider the specific context and the steps school leaders have taken to ensure the best possible rates of attendance since the school opened to all pupils in March 2021.

Personal development

27. When forming judgements about personal development, inspectors will seek to understand what took place before the pandemic, what the school has in place currently and what its future plans are. Inspectors recognise that many elements of personal development that were in place before the pandemic may have been disrupted. Therefore, they will focus on understanding the steps that leaders have taken to offer a wide range of personal development opportunities since the school opened to all pupils in March 2021.

Remote elements of the inspection

28. Inspections will be carried out on site. However, it may be pragmatic to carry out some elements of the inspection through video/telephone calls. This will be agreed with the headteacher at the start of the inspection. It will usually only be used to involve pupils, parents, governors/trustees and others with leadership responsibility in inspection who are unable to attend the school site.

Disapplication and modifications of the EYFS

29. To support early years providers and schools during the COVID-19 outbreak, in April 2020 the government temporarily disapplied and modified certain elements of the EYFS statutory framework. This includes detail on where schools should apply 'reasonable endeavours' and 'best endeavours' if they are using any modifications and disapplications.

30. If there is a COVID-19 case in a school, in most cases this does not automatically mean it can disapply the EYFS.

31. We recognise that the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic may have impacted on what children have learned. This could result in some children having a wider than usual range of starting points and gaps in their knowledge. Inspectors will pay close attention to how schools identify and address any of these delays and gaps.

32. When determining inspection judgements, the inspector will take account of all failures to meet EYFS requirements, even where they have been modified (see 'Early years foundation stage: coronavirus disapplications'). If the inspector judges the early years provision not to have an acceptable standard of care and/or quality of education, the specific early years judgement and the overall effectiveness will be inadequate.

33. The learning and development requirements of the EYFS can be disapplied at the school's discretion, as long as the 2-stage test is met. It is expected that the majority of schools will be largely unaffected, or affected only temporarily, and therefore should continue to deliver the learning and development aspects of the EYFS as normal.

34. Inspectors will consider any circumstances where disapplications of the requirements are applicable and where the school has used 'reasonable endeavours' to meet the existing learning and development requirements.

35. When evaluating the quality of early years education, using the judgement criteria set out in paragraphs 316 to 327, inspectors will consider the extent to which leaders have designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. When considering the impact of the curriculum, inspectors will have due regard to any loss of learning the pandemic may have caused and the disapplications that may currently be applied or that have been applied previously. However, inspectors will consider what the school is doing to address any disruption to learning to ensure that children are well prepared for their next stage of education.

36. EYFS assessment arrangements may have been altered as a result of the pandemic. Inspectors will need to understand where schools may have applied the modifications to some of the assessment requirements of the EYFS. They will check how schools are meeting relevant assessment requirements or ensuring that assessment takes place as soon as practical. They will also seek to understand how staff are supported and the steps that are being taken to remove the risk of additional workload.

37. Inspectors will pay close attention to where schools are applying, or had applied, the modifications to the safeguarding and welfare requirements. They will also consider how schools adapted approaches to safeguarding during the pandemic to make sure that:

vulnerable children, including those with SEND, were encouraged to attend the provision

safeguarding procedures remained effective both for those at home and those attending the provision

Inspectors will discuss how safeguarding arrangements have changed over time due to the pandemic, and how schools have made sure that they remain effective.

Part 1. How schools will be inspected

What are the legal requirements for the inspection of schools?

How schools are selected for inspection

38. The EIF and this handbook set out the statutory basis for school inspections carried out under the Education Act 2005.

39. The handbook applies to all schools in England that are to be inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The schools subject to inspection under this section of the Act are:

community, foundation and voluntary schools

community and foundation special schools

maintained nursery schools

city technology colleges

city technology colleges for the technology of the arts

certain non-maintained special schools approved by the Secretary of State under section 342 of the Education Act 1996

40. An inspection of boarding or residential provision in a boarding or residential special school will be integrated with the school inspection, where possible (for details, see Part 3: Applying the EIF in different contexts). Integrated inspections cannot be carried out when inspection cycles do not coincide. In these cases, we will only inspect the boarding or residential provision.

41. All schools have a unique reference number ( URN). Any institution with its own URN that we inspect will receive an inspection report.[footnote 10] We may try to coordinate the inspection of certain groups of schools, where this is possible.

42. Ofsted is required to inspect at prescribed intervals all schools to which section 5 applies.[footnote 11] The regulations set the interval for section 5 inspections as 'within 5 school years from the end of the school year in which the last section 5 inspection took place'.[footnote 12] See also the section below on outstanding schools.

Risk assessment

43. We use risk assessment to ensure that our approach to inspection is proportionate, so that we can focus our efforts on where we can have the greatest impact. Risk assessment combines an assessment of each school, with a more in-depth desk-based review of a wider range of available information.

44. We use a broad range of indicators to select schools for inspection. The risk assessment process normally takes place in time for the start of the third school year after the most recent inspection.

45. In a risk assessment, we analyse:

school workforce census data

the views of parents and carers, including those shown by Ofsted Parent View, our online questionnaire for parents[footnote 14]

the outcomes of any inspections, such as survey inspections, that we have carried out since the last routine inspection.

statutory warning notices

any other significant concerns that are brought to our attention

46. We may also carry out unannounced inspections and monitoring visits under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 at any time.

Outstanding schools that were formerly exempt from routine inspections

47. Between 15 May 2012 and 13 November 2020, maintained primary and secondary schools and academies judged to be outstanding in their overall effectiveness at their most recent section 5 inspection were exempt from routine inspections. These schools are now once again subject to routine inspections under section 5. This also applies to academy converter schools that were formerly exempt because the overall effectiveness of their predecessor school was outstanding at its most recent section 5 inspection.[footnote 17]

48. All formerly exempt schools must receive an initial inspection under section 5 or section 8 before 1 August 2026. Those schools that were last inspected under section 5 before September 2015 will receive an initial section 5 inspection. Those last inspected under section 5 after this date will receive an initial section 8 inspection. If an initial section 8 inspection indicates that outstanding performance may not have been maintained, we will normally carry out a section 5 inspection within the next academic year or as soon as possible thereafter and, in any event, before 1 August 2027. Beyond these initial inspections, future inspections for these schools will take place as set out in the next section.

Section 8 inspections of good and outstanding schools

49. Some good and outstanding schools will be subject to a full section 5 inspection instead of a section 8 inspection. This will happen, for example, if a school has undergone significant change, such as in its age range, or if there are indications that the quality of provision may have deteriorated significantly. We will select these schools through our risk assessment process. The section 8 handbook explains how these inspections will be carried out.

50. A section 8 inspection will not result in individual graded judgements. It cannot change the overall effectiveness grade of the school. If the inspection is converted to a section 5 inspection, then inspectors will make the full set of graded judgements, using the 4-point grading scale required under section 5.[footnote 18]

51. Usually, a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school will be followed by a further section 8 inspection after approximately a 4-year interval. However, if there is evidence that a good school has improved towards outstanding or may no longer be good, or that an outstanding school may no longer be outstanding, inspectors will specify that the next inspection is a section 5 inspection, with the full range of graded judgements available.

52. Our section 8 handbook sets out what is considered by inspectors on a section 8 inspection.

53. As is the case for all schools, a good or outstanding school may still receive a 'no formal designation' inspection carried out under section 8 at any time in certain circumstances. For example, we may decide that we should inspect a school earlier than its next scheduled inspection if:

there are potential safeguarding issues, including a decline in the standards of pupils' behaviour and the ability of staff to maintain discipline, and/or welfare concerns

a subject or thematic survey inspection raises general concerns

we have received a qualifying complaint about the school that, taken alongside other available evidence, suggests that it would be appropriate to do so

concerns are raised about standards of leadership or governance

concerns are identified about the breadth and balance of the curriculum (including if the statutory requirement to publish information to parents is not met)

HMCI or the Secretary of State have concerns about the school's performance

54. If, during the course of the section 8 no formal designation inspection, the lead inspector finds that the school's overall effectiveness may have declined, then the lead inspector may deem the inspection as a section 5 inspection.[footnote 19]

55. We may also inspect a school under section 8 if we select it as part of a sample to ensure that HMCI's Annual Report reflects evidence from a cross-section of schools of different types, phases and effectiveness.

56. The EIF supports proportionate inspections of schools' performance and circumstances. Maintained primary and secondary schools, and academies, that were judged good or outstanding at their previous section 5 inspection will normally receive an inspection under section 8 approximately every 4 years. This is to confirm that the quality of education remains good or outstanding.[footnote 20]

Schools requesting an inspection

57. Schools are able, via the appropriate authority (normally the school's governing body), to request an inspection.[footnote 21] We treat these inspections as an inspection under section 5. If we carry one out, HMCI may charge the appropriate authority for its cost.

Using evidence from section 5 and section 8 inspections

58. We may use the evidence that inspectors gather during section 5 and section 8 inspections to inform other work, such as national reporting.

Inspection of religious education and collective worship

59. The Secretary of State designates certain schools as having a religious character.[footnote 22] In schools without a religious character, we inspect religious education (RE) and collective worship as part of inspections under section 5.

60. This is different in schools with a religious character. In most of these schools, denominational education and collective worship are inspected by a body appointed by the maintained school's governing body under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 or as provided in the academy's funding agreement.[footnote 23] In a voluntary controlled school designated as having a religious character, we inspect RE, but not collective worship.

61. Inspectors may, however, gather evidence from anywhere relevant (including RE lessons and assemblies) to evaluate pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, personal development and/or behaviour and attitudes. The fact that the school has been designated as having a religious character must be referenced in the 'information about this school' section of the inspection report.

62. Section 48 inspections (or the equivalent inspection of an academy) are carried out every 3 to 5 years (and usually within 2 to 3 years of a new voluntary-aided school or academy/free school opening).[footnote 24] The lead inspector on a section 5 inspection will check the section 48 arrangements. This includes when the next inspection is due and when the last inspection was. They will write about this in the inspection report. They will ensure that the required consultation has taken place with the prescribed faith body when a school has a prescribed faith body and decides not to use that body's inspection service but to appoint its own inspector.

63. Inspectors will familiarise themselves with any issues raised in any section 48 inspection (or equivalent) held since the last Ofsted inspection. Inspectors will not, however, use that evidence in an Ofsted inspection.[footnote 25] The lead inspector will report if the section 48 inspection (or equivalent inspection of an academy) is overdue and that, therefore, the school is failing in its statutory duty. They will do this in the inspection report.

64. If a section 48 inspection (or equivalent inspection of an academy) happens at the same time as an Ofsted section 5 inspection, inspectors will mention this in the 'information about this school' section.

New academies

65. When a school becomes an academy, or when multiple schools come together to become an academy, the predecessor school(s) is/are closed. The new academy is legally a new school. Judgements made in any predecessor school's report are not judgements about the new academy. Inspectors may look at the performance of any predecessor school as part of pre-inspection planning. They can look at this data to consider whether the new academy has improved on, or declined from, its predecessor's performance and whether it has tackled any areas of weakness or built on strengths from the predecessor school. However, inspectors must take care not to give undue weight to any progress or attainment compared with those of the predecessor. Inspectors must not take account of the predecessor's key judgements or areas for improvement when reaching their judgements about the new academy. Inspectors will make clear to the new academy the extent to which they have taken account of the performance data from its predecessor school(s).

66. Maintained schools that become academies are normally treated as new schools for inspection purposes and are subject to a section 5 inspection as their first inspection. This will normally take place within 3 years of the new school opening.[footnote 26] New converter academies whose predecessor schools were most recently judged good or outstanding are eligible for an inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005, as described in the section 8 handbook.

67. The first section 5 inspection report of a new academy will state 'not previously inspected as an academy'.[footnote 27] The first section 5 inspection report of a converter academy will include, in the context section, a statement that follows the example below:

Piccadilly Gate Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 September 2019. When its predecessor school, Piccadilly Gate Secondary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

When can an inspection take place?

68. Inspection can take place at any point from 5 school days after the first day pupils attend in autumn term. For example, if pupils return to school on a Wednesday, inspection can take place as early as the following Wednesday.

Before the inspection

Clarification for schools

69. The information below confirms our requirements. This is to dispel myths about inspection that can result in unnecessary workload in schools. It is intended to highlight specific practices that we do not require.

70. Ofsted will:

when making judgements, take a range of evidence into account, including official national data; discussions with leaders, staff and pupils; questionnaire responses; and work in pupils' books/folders/sketchbooks and so on

judge fairly schools that take radically different approaches to the curriculum; inspectors will assess any school's curriculum favourably when leaders have built or adopted a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing and implemented it effectively

report on any failure to comply with statutory arrangements when they form part of the inspection framework and evaluation schedule, including those relating to the workforce (see part 2 of this handbook)

allow the school to invite as many governors or trustees as possible to meet inspectors during an inspection, as restrictions allow. These meetings may include a virtual option using video/telephone calls if necessary

in academies, meet those directly responsible for management and governance, including the chief executive officer (CEO) or their delegate (or equivalent), the chair of the board of trustees and other trustees

talk to the chair of governors/board of trustees by telephone if they are unable to attend a face-to-face meeting with the inspector in the school

invite the headteacher (or equivalent) and, in academies, the CEO or their delegate, to observe the inspectors' final team meeting (as restrictions allow)

expect schools to maintain, as they are required to, the single central record detailing checks carried out; we expect multi-academy trusts ( MATs) to maintain this in each of their academies and to ensure that the information is recorded in a way that allows for details of each individual academy to be provided separately and without delay

71. Ofsted will not:

72. Ofsted does not require schools to provide:

73. Ofsted does not require schools to:

74. Ofsted does not specify:

Notification and introduction

75. Ofsted will normally contact the school by telephone to announce the inspection between 10.30am and 2pm on the school day before the inspection.

76. If the headteacher is unavailable when the notification call is made, we will ask to speak to the most senior member of staff available. Once we have informed the school by telephone that the inspection will take place, we will send confirmation to the school by email.

77. During the initial notification phone call, the inspection support administrator will check the number of pupils on roll at the school, the governance arrangements for the school and whether the school has any SEND, nursery provision for 2- and 3-year-olds or additional resource provision.

78. The inspection support administrator will then send the school a note setting out key information for leaders to be aware of before inspection. This will include:

Information that schools must provide by 8am on the day of inspection

79. The inspection support administrator will also send the school a note requesting that the following information is available to inspectors by 8am the next day, at the formal start of the inspection:

Preparation

80. Once we have informed the school of the inspection, the lead inspector will contact the school by telephone and ask to speak to the headteacher. Inspectors' preparatory telephone conversations with headteachers will have 2 elements:

a reflective, educationally focused conversation about the school's progress since the last inspection, including how COVID-19 has affected this

a shorter inspection-planning conversation that focuses on practical and logistical issues

81. It may be that both these elements are discussed in a single telephone conversation. Alternatively, they may be carried out as 2 separate conversations with a break in between, as agreed between the lead inspector and the headteacher.

Discussing the school's progress since the last inspection

82. Inspectors will hold an introductory telephone conversation with school leaders on the day before the inspection begins. This should include giving school leaders the opportunity to explain their school's specific context and challenges. Inspection experience shows that this helps both leaders and inspectors build stronger professional relationships.

83. Inspectors will use this conversation to understand:

84. This conversation will normally last up to 90 minutes. It may be longer where detailed discussions of the COVID-19 context are required. It will help inspectors and school leaders to establish a rapport before inspection and give them a shared understanding of the starting point of the inspection. It will also help inspectors to form an initial understanding of leaders' views of the school's progress and to shape the inspection plan. Our experience from implementing the new framework shows that this is the part of preparation that school leaders and inspectors often find to be the most helpful and constructive.

Inspection planning discussion

85. This discussion will be short and focused on practical issues. The lead inspector will:

make the school aware of its statutory duty to inform parents of the inspection and that Ofsted's Parent View tool is the main method for gathering the views of parents at the point of inspection; inspectors will remind the school that our letter to parents containing the link to Ofsted Parent View may be sent electronically, or as a paper copy via pupils

discuss the nature of the SEND resource base, if applicable

invite the headteacher, curriculum leaders and other leaders to take part in joint visits to lessons and to observe the main inspection team meetings

make arrangements for meetings with relevant staff

provide an opportunity for the school to ask any questions or to raise any concerns, such as perceived conflicts of interest

86. The lead inspector will also use the discussion to establish whether the school has any pupils who attend off-site alternative provision, either full time or part time, run either by the school or in partnership with other schools. If the school uses off-site alternative provision, the lead inspector will request further details about this.

87. The lead inspector will also request that the school provides certain information as early as possible to aid preparation. This will include:

a copy of the school timetable

details of any relevant staff absence

whether any teachers cannot be observed for any reason (for example, if they are subject to capability procedures)

whether there is anyone working on site who is normally employed elsewhere in the MAT (if relevant)

88. It is important that inspectors speak to those responsible for leadership and governance during inspection. Since schools, and especially MATs, operate a wide variety of leadership and governance models, it is essential that inspectors establish who is responsible for leadership and governance.

89. The lead inspector will therefore:

confirm arrangements for meetings with the school and, if appropriate, MAT executive leaders, as well as representatives of those responsible for the governance of the school and anyone else they think relevant. The lead inspector should be guided by the school here as to who they need to meet in the structure of a MAT

make arrangements for a meeting with the chair of the governing body or, if appropriate, the chair of the board of trustees and as many governors/trustees as possible. Inspectors will also ask the school to invite as many governors/trustees as possible to attend the final feedback meeting

request either a face-to-face meeting or a telephone call with a representative from the local authority, diocese, sponsor or other relevant responsible body as appropriate

request that a representative from the local authority, diocese, MAT, sponsor or other relevant responsible body is present at the final inspection feedback meeting as appropriate

90. If any issues arise, the lead inspector may also need further clarification from the school, for example when information is not available on the school's website.

Further inspection preparation carried out by the lead inspector

91. In addition to the information requested from the school, inspectors will review and consider:

all relevant information held by Ofsted, including:

information published by local authorities, the DfE (including the Education and Skills Funding Agency and regional school commissioners) and the police

Resource bases

92. If the school has a SEND resource base delegated to it or the local authority maintains direct responsibility for the period when the pupils in the provision are in mainstream classes at the school being inspected, the resource base must be inspected. Inspectors must consider evidence about the resourced provision when making judgements about the school overall.

93. During the lead inspector's planning conversation with the school, they will get specific information about any resource base, including:

Requests for deferral or cancellation

94. A school may request a deferral of its inspection. It may make a request to the inspection support administrator when it is notified of the inspection, or to the lead inspector on the day it is notified of the inspection. We will not normally consider deferrals if we receive them after 4.30pm on the day the school is notified. The inspection support administrator or lead inspector must immediately contact the regional duty desk. We will decide whether this should be granted in accordance with our deferral policy.

95. Normally, if the school is providing education to pupils, an inspection will go ahead. In exceptional circumstances, however, an inspection might be cancelled or deferred after the school has been notified, following a request made by the school. We will aim to let the school know whether a request is granted on the same day it is made, but in some cases (particularly when the request for deferral comes later), this may happen by 8am the next morning.

96. If a school is within 6 months of confirmed closure,[footnote 35] but the school does not request a cancellation when the inspector makes contact, the inspection support administrator will call the regional duty desk to highlight this and get advice about whether the inspection should still be carried out. Decisions will be made case by case.

97. In the case of unannounced inspections, any requests for a deferral will be passed to Ofsted's relevant regional director, who will decide whether the request can be granted.

No-notice inspections

98. We may carry out inspections without notice.[footnote 36] When this happens, the lead inspector will normally telephone the school about 15 minutes before arriving on site. In these cases, the inspector will make the initial call simply to inform the school that the inspection is about to begin and will leave all other arrangements until arriving at the school.

Seeking the views of registered parents and other stakeholders

99. When a school is notified of a section 5 inspection, it is required to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to notify all registered parents of registered pupils[footnote 37] at the school, including those who have been excluded, attend alternative provision or are away from school. Schools are also required to notify relevant bodies, including providers of alternative provision.[footnote 38]

100. Inspectors have a statutory duty to have regard of the views of parents and other relevant persons at the point of a section 5 inspection.[footnote 39] Our email confirming the inspection includes a letter that formally notifies parents. It also explains how to use Ofsted Parent View and how parents can contact inspectors. Schools will encourage parents to complete the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire by placing a link to it on their website. In addition, inspectors will encourage the school to notify parents using its own electronic systems (such as text messages), if these are available.

101. Inspectors will review the evidence from Ofsted Parent View throughout the inspection to ensure that all online responses received during the inspection are taken into account. If the response rate for Ofsted Parent View is low, inspectors may take steps during the inspection to gather further evidence of parents' views.

102. Inspectors will also take into account any other evidence from parents, including the results of any past surveys the school has carried out or commissioned. If individual parents raise serious issues, inspectors will follow these up with the school and record its response.

103. During integrated inspections of boarding or residential special schools, social care regulatory inspectors will take account of the views that parents have given on Ofsted Parent View about the school's boarding or residential provision. Views of children and young people who are boarders or residential pupils and boarding staff will have been gathered through Ofsted's annual point-in-time surveys.

Pupil and staff questionnaires

104. The views of pupils and staff in schools are gathered through online questionnaires. The inspection support administrator sends online links to the school with the formal notification of inspection. The school is asked to encourage staff and pupils to complete the online questionnaires, apart from those pupils in any boarding provision, whose views will have already been sought through the point-in-time survey. Pupils and staff should complete their questionnaires by 3pm on the first day of the inspection.

105. As well as through online questionnaires, inspectors may gather evidence from parents or other stakeholders in person. This may include informal meetings at the start and/or end of the day. These meetings must take place without the presence of the headteacher or senior staff. In drawing on evidence from these meetings, every attempt must be made to protect the identity of individuals. There may be circumstances, however, in which it is not possible to guarantee the anonymity of the interviewee. Inspectors have a duty to pass on disclosures that raise child protection or safeguarding issues and/or when there are concerns about serious misconduct, bullying of staff or criminal activity.

The inspection

Days allocated to inspection and inspection team members

106. Inspections do not normally last longer than 2 days. The size of the inspection team will vary according to the size and nature of the school.

Concurrent inspections

107. We may schedule inspections at the same time for 'linked provision', which is when one or more schools have arrangements to share important aspects of their provision, such as sixth-form programmes or an inclusion unit. Inspectors will make sure that they communicate with each other before and during the inspections. They will also share evidence electronically. Inspectors will ensure that they give sufficient consideration to the emerging judgements of the linked provision.

108. The inspection of boarding or residential provision in a school is carried out by one or more social care regulatory inspectors. Contact between the education and social care regulatory inspectors will take place before the inspection. Guidance on pre-inspection activity for integrated inspections is set out in the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): boarding schools and residential special schools.

Arrival time on the first full day of inspection

109. On the first day of the inspection, inspectors will not arrive before 8am.

Gathering and recording evidence

110. Although meetings with leaders are important, inspectors' first priority during inspections is to collect first-hand evidence.

111. Inspectors will visit lessons; scrutinise pupils' work; talk to pupils about their work, gauging both their understanding and their engagement in learning; and gather pupils' perceptions of the typical quality of education and other aspects of life at the school in a range of subjects.

112. Inspectors will evaluate evidence of the impact of the curriculum, including on the most disadvantaged pupils. This includes pupils with SEND. It also includes pupils who meet the criteria for the school to receive pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last 6 years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route. In addition, it includes children in need of help and protection, receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker. Inspectors will give specific attention to the acquisition of knowledge and skills in lessons and on-site separate provision and evidence of learning in off-site alternative provision.

113. Other evidence gathered by inspectors will include: discussions with pupils and staff; listening to pupils read; and looking at examples of pupils' work for evidence of progress in knowledge, understanding and skills towards defined endpoints. Inspectors will also scrutinise the school's records and documentation relating, for example, to the welfare and safety of pupils in alternative provision

Evaluating different approaches to teaching

114. Ofsted does not advocate that any particular approach should be used exclusively in teaching. Different approaches to teaching can be effective. What is appropriate will depend on the aims of a particular lesson or activity, and its place in the sequence of teaching a particular topic. Nevertheless, any approach used has features that must be present to ensure that it is delivered effectively. Our research commentary sets out our understanding of those factors.

Newly qualified teachers and trainees working in schools during section 5 inspections

115. When the lead inspector requests a copy of the current staff list, they must ask whether this includes:

any newly qualified teachers ( NQTs)

any trainees on placement, including those on School Direct or School Direct (salaried) training routes

116. Inspectors will meet NQTs where possible and may wish to visit lessons given by NQTs. In doing so, inspectors should take into account the fact that NQTs have less experience than other teachers, but must assess the effectiveness of the support and professional development put in place for NQTs and early career teachers (ECTs), particularly in dealing with pupils' behaviour. This must include the quality of mentoring and what the school has done to support their development in areas for improvement identified by initial teacher training providers. Inspectors should discuss how NQTs are supported by the school in managing pupils' behaviour.

117. Inspectors will meet any trainees employed by the school on the School Direct (salaried) route to assess their support, mentoring and induction. Inspectors will not observe lessons given by trainees.

118. The teachers' standards state that providers will assess trainees against the standards in a way that is consistent with what could reasonably be expected of a trainee teacher before the awarding of qualified teacher status ( QTS). Inspectors will not take trainees' performance into account when assessing the quality of education.

Overarching approach to inspection

119. This EIF seeks to put a single, joined-up educational conversation at the heart of inspection. It is built around the connectedness of curriculum, teaching, assessment and standards within the 'quality of education' judgement. As a result, the inspection methodology for this judgement is structured to ensure that inspectors are able to gather evidence of how a school's activities to deliver a high-quality education for its pupils connect and work together to achieve the highest possible standards.

120. As set out in the 'preparation' section (paragraphs 80 to 81), inspections under the EIF always begin with in-depth discussions with school leaders and curriculum leaders about the school's curriculum. Inspectors ask about what leaders intend pupils to learn. What are the end points they wish them to reach, what are the key concepts that they need to understand, and in what order will they learn them? They will also ask about pupils' behaviour and attitudes and personal development.

121. During inspection, inspectors will probe leaders' understanding further but, most importantly, they will focus on gathering first-hand evidence. Inspectors will visit lessons, talk to individual teachers and pupils, and look at pupils' work (in its widest sense) together with curriculum leaders to see whether it matches leaders' intentions. Inspectors will then draw all this evidence together from different pupils, classes and year groups.

122. The crucial element here is the connection between different pieces of evidence. Inspectors will not emphasise one specific type of evidence above all others. Instead, inspectors will focus on gathering evidence that is balanced and connected. Our research on work scrutiny and lesson visits has shown that having a variety of types of connected evidence strengthens the conclusions that inspectors are able to reach.

123. This evidence will always lead inspectors back to the overall quality of education on offer. The focus will not be on one particular lesson, book or pupil. Rather, the focus will be on the interconnection of all of these pieces of evidence and what they tell inspectors and leaders about whether pupils are learning the curriculum and making progress in the sense of knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more. The evidence the first inspections under the EIF is that this approach enables inspectors and leaders to build up a clear picture of whether the school is meeting the criteria set out in the 'quality of education' judgement.

Joint visits to lessons

124. One element of the inspection will be visits to lessons. The lead inspector will invite the headteacher, curriculum leaders and other leaders to take part in joint visits to lessons.

125. Inspectors will not take a random sample of lessons to visit. Instead, they will connect lesson visits to other evidence, such as discussions with curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, and work scrutiny. Inspectors will visit several lessons in which the same subject is being taught, wherever possible, including lessons to different year groups. Lesson visits are not about evaluating individual teachers or their teaching; there will be no grading of the teaching observed by inspectors. Instead, inspectors will view lessons across a faculty, department, subject, key stage or year group and then aggregate insights as to how what is going on in lessons contributes to the school's curriculum intentions. This will then provide part of the evidence for an overall view of quality of education or behaviour and attitudes.

126. In summary, lesson visits are primarily useful for gathering evidence about how lessons contribute to the quality of education. Inspectors can use these visits to gather evidence about how well the curriculum is implemented. They do this by looking at what is going on in lessons for one or more subjects or themes, triangulating this with evidence collected through discussions with the staff and pupils involved, and scrutinising the pupils' work, wherever possible derived from the lessons visited and the relevant sequence of lessons (see below).

127. Lesson visits are also useful for gathering evidence that contributes to the 'behaviour and attitudes' judgement by providing direct evidence about how behaviour is managed within individual classrooms and how pupils respond. This evidence will complement the other evidence that inspectors gather about behaviour during inspection.

Work scrutiny

128. Another element of the inspection approach will be scrutinising pupils' work. The lead inspector will invite curriculum leaders and teachers to take part in joint scrutiny of pupils' work.

129. Inspectors will not take a random sample of exercise books/folders/sketchbooks/electronic files and so on (which we refer to as 'pupils' books and other work'). Instead, they will scrutinise pupils' books and other work across a faculty, department, subject, key stage or year group and aggregate insights to provide part of the evidence for an overall view of the quality of education. Inspectors will not evaluate individual workbooks or teachers. Inspectors will not use work scrutiny to evaluate teachers' marking. Inspectors will connect work scrutiny to lesson visits and, where at all possible, conversations with pupils and staff.

130. Inspectors can use work scrutiny to contribute to an evaluation of whether the work that pupils do over time reflects the intended curriculum. Work scrutiny will help inspectors to form a view of whether pupils know more and can do more, and whether the knowledge and skills they have learned are well sequenced and have developed incrementally. Inspectors will synthesise what they find in order to contribute to their overall assessment of the quality of education across a faculty, department, subject, key stage or year group.

Talking to and observing pupils outside lessons

131. Inspectors will ensure that they talk to and observe pupils in a range of situations outside normal lessons to evaluate other aspects of personal development, behaviour and attitudes, for example:

132. Inspectors will take advantage of opportunities to gather evidence from a wide range of pupils, both formally and informally.[footnote 40] During informal conversations with pupils, inspectors must ask them about their experiences of teaching, learning and behaviour in the school, including the prevention of bullying and how the school deals with any form of harassment and violence, discrimination and prejudiced behaviour, if they happen. Inspectors will ensure that all questions are appropriate. They would not expect any adult to be present.

133. During the inspection, it is important that pupils are able to express their views freely to inspectors. Therefore, inspectors must have the opportunity to speak to pupils with no other adults present. This is particularly important when inspectors ask pupils questions around safeguarding. Inspectors will also try to ensure that they speak to at least some single-sex pupil groups to provide the opportunity for pupils to speak more freely about issues such as peer-on-peer abuse. See 'Inspectors talking to pupils on inspection'.

Meeting those responsible for governance

134. Inspectors will always seek to meet those responsible for governance during the inspection.

135. In a maintained school or standalone academy, this will usually include maintained school governors or academy trustees and sponsors (including sponsor representatives, where they exist).[footnote 41]

136. In a school that is part of a MAT, the board of trustees is the governance body. Often, local governing bodies can appear responsible for governance, when in reality it is trustees who are accountable for the academy trust. Local governing bodies are committees to which trustees have often chosen to delegate some specific responsibilities, but in some cases they may act purely as advisory bodies and engage with the community. Their responsibilities will normally be set out in the trust's scheme of delegation. Sometimes, their powers are delegated from the managers of the MAT; in this case, they are part of the school's management, not its governance. Inspectors will therefore need to be careful to establish who has overall responsibility for governance. Inspectors will also ensure that meetings are with those who are directly responsible for exercising governance of the school and for overseeing its performance.

137. The role that governors and trustees play in the school's performance is evaluated as part of the judgement on the effectiveness of leadership and management, and each report will contain a separate paragraph that addresses the governance of the school.

138. As with the meetings between inspectors and pupils, parents and staff, meetings or telephone discussions with those responsible for governance should take place without the headteacher or other senior staff being present.

Meeting leaders

139. The lead inspector will meet the headteacher regularly throughout the inspection to:

140. The inspection team will meet at different points during the course of the inspection. In particular, the team should:

meet briefly in the middle of day 1

meet at the end of day 1 to discuss and record emerging findings; the headteacher should be invited

meet at the end of day 2 to finalise judgements and identify areas for improvement

draw together the key inspection findings and write up the evaluation for team meetings

141. The lead inspector will invite the headteacher to the final team meeting at the end of day 2. It is important that the lead inspector makes it clear that observers who are invited to attend the final team meeting are there to listen to the scrutiny of evidence and agreed judgements made by the inspection team. As appropriate, the lead inspector may request that observers clarify key points during the meeting.

142. In a MAT, the headteacher (or equivalent) may report to a CEO (or equivalent) who is, in turn, accountable to the board of trustees. The CEO is part of the executive staff (and may be a trustee). They should be invited to the final meeting or be allowed to send a delegate.

143. If, by the end of day 1 or during day 2, there is evidence that the school might be judged as inadequate or requires improvement, the lead inspector will alert the headteacher to this possibility. The inspector must emphasise that they do not make final judgements until the final team meeting at the end of day 2.

Reaching final judgements

144. Inspection activity, including lesson visits, will continue during day 2. The team will also ensure that time is set aside to prepare for the final team meeting and the final feedback. During the final team meeting, an evaluation card will be completed. The main points for feedback to the school will be recorded as the meeting progresses.

Providing feedback

145. The on-site inspection ends with a final feedback meeting with the school. Those connected with the school who may attend include:

the headteacher and other senior leaders, as agreed by the lead inspector and headteacher

for maintained schools, the chair of the school's governing body and as many governors as possible; the clerk to governors (or equivalent), or their delegate, may also attend to take notes

for academies, including academies that are part of a MAT, the chair of the board of trustees and as many trustees as possible; the clerk to governors or the board (or equivalent), or their delegate, may also attend to take notes

in an academy that is part of a MAT, the CEO or their delegate or equivalent

a representative from the local authority (for maintained schools) sponsor and/or the designated responsible body

in an aligned or integrated inspection, social care regulatory inspectors and education inspectors will feed back together to both education and residential staff

Due to the diverse nature of school governance, in some schools a single individual may have more than one of the above roles.

146. During this meeting, the lead inspector will ensure that the headteacher, those responsible for governance and all attendees are clear:

147. Regulations state that a maintained school that has been judged to require special measures may not appoint NQTs unless HMCI has given permission in writing. When the lead inspector has informed a maintained school that it may not appoint NQTs, the school must seek approval if it later wishes to appoint NQTs, by writing to the relevant Ofsted regional director, giving supporting reasons. The restriction on appointing NQTs does not extend to trainee teachers who joined employment-based training programmes at the school prior to the notice.[footnote 43]

Schools that are judged as requires improvement

148. A school that is judged as requires improvement (overall effectiveness grade 3) is a school that is not good but overall provides an acceptable standard of education. The judgement of requires improvement is not a formal category of concern, but the school may be subject to monitoring by Ofsted. This will not normally apply to a school that has been judged as requires improvement for the first time. We will inspect the school again under section 5, usually within 30 months of the publication of the previous section 5 report.

149. When the school is judged as requires improvement, inspectors will direct the school to Ofsted's section 8 handbook.

150. If, at the next section 5 inspection, the school has not demonstrated that it has improved to good, the lead inspector will need to consider whether the school continues to require improvement or may be inadequate. If the school has demonstrated improvement in some areas and there is a general upward trend, but key aspects of performance remain less than good, the school may be judged as requires improvement again. In that case, there will normally be monitoring before another section 5 inspection takes place within 30 months of the publication of the previous section 5 report. These considerations will be made at each section 5 re-inspection of a school that was previously judged as requires improvement.

Schools causing concern

151. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be inadequate (grade 4) will be deemed to be in a formal category of concern.

Procedures for judging a school as inadequate

152. If, by the end of the first day of the inspection or during day 2, the lead inspector thinks it is possible that the school's overall effectiveness is inadequate and that it might be judged to have serious weaknesses or to require special measures, they must ring Ofsted's regional duty desk.[footnote 44]

153. The lead inspector will be asked for their name and the name and URN of the school. They will then be put through to one of Her Majesty's Inspectors ( HMI) on duty. In this call, the lead inspector must talk through the evidence used by inspector(s) in reaching an emerging provisional judgement of inadequate. The overall effectiveness judgement is not confirmed at this point. The lead inspector must record the main points of the conversation on an evidence form.

154. During the second day of the inspection, the lead inspector may contact the regional duty desk again to discuss emerging findings. If the inspection team has made the provisional judgement that the school is inadequate and has serious weaknesses or requires special measures, the lead inspector must telephone the regional duty desk before the final oral feedback meeting with the school. The lead inspector will be prepared to explain briefly the reasons and underpinning evidence for the inadequate judgement.

Special measures

155. A school requires special measures if both of the following apply:

156. If inspectors judge that the evidence shows that the overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate, they must consider whether the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. If the key judgement either for quality of education or for personal development is 'inadequate', inspectors must conclude that the school is failing to give an acceptable standard of education.[footnote 46]

157. Inspectors must then consider whether leaders, managers and governors are demonstrating the capacity to improve the school.

158. If inspectors find that the school is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and find that leaders, managers and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to improve the school, then they must find that school requires special measures. In any case, where inspectors find that leaders, managers and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to improve the school, the leadership and management will be judged inadequate.

Serious weaknesses

159. If inspectors consider that the evidence shows that the overall effectiveness of the school is inadequate, but do not find that the school requires special measures in line with the above paragraph, they will instead judge the school to have serious weaknesses. A school with serious weaknesses will have one or more of the key judgements graded inadequate (grade 4) and/or have important weaknesses in the provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Informing a school that it is deemed to be causing concern

160. If a school is provisionally judged to require special measures or to have serious weaknesses, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school, indicating that the overall effectiveness judgement is subject to moderation by HMIs and, in the case of special measures, agreement by HMCI.

When the school has serious weaknesses:

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is likely to be of the opinion that this school has serious weaknesses[footnote 47] because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

When the school requires special measures:

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is likely to be of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

Implications for a school causing concern

161. If a school is judged to be causing concern, the timescale for publishing the report is extended so that the school can make comments on the inspection judgements. Judgements can be moderated in light of those comments and, in the case of schools judged to require special measures, confirmed either by HMCI or a regional director on HMCI's behalf.

162. Maintained schools and PRUs that are judged to be causing concern will be subject to an academy order. The Secretary of State has a duty to make an academy order for all maintained schools judged to have serious weaknesses ('requiring significant improvement') and those that require special measures. This includes maintained special schools, but excludes maintained nursery schools and non-maintained special schools. For academies that are causing concern, the Secretary of State has a power to terminate the funding agreement, and the academy may become part of a trust or be 'rebrokered'[footnote 48] to another trust.

163. Maintained schools or PRUs that have been issued with an academy order and academies that are being brokered or rebrokered to new sponsors following termination of their funding agreements will normally receive monitoring inspections if they have not been brokered or rebrokered after 9 months.

164. There is still a requirement for the local authority, proprietor or trust to prepare a statement of action, even though these schools will become new sponsored academies once the new funding agreements are in place. However, with the exception of any safeguarding concerns, which the statement of action must address, the purpose of the statement will be to set out how the relevant authority and the school will support the transition to the new academy or trust.

165. Whether becoming a new academy or being brokered or rebrokered, these schools will become new sponsored academies. We will then inspect them as new schools within 3 years of operation and normally in the third year. However, in exceptional circumstances, schools that are becoming new academies or being rebrokered may receive a section 8 inspection before their next section 5 inspection.

166. Academies judged to have serious weaknesses, and which are not brokered or rebrokered, will be subject to monitoring by Ofsted.[footnote 49] They will normally be re-inspected within 30 months of the publication of the inspection report in which they were judged to have serious weaknesses.

167. Academies judged to require special measures, and which are not rebrokered, will be subject to monitoring by Ofsted. The timing of the next section 5 inspection will be determined by the academy's rate of improvement. However, it will normally take place within 30 months of the publication of the inspection report that judged it to require special measures.

168. Maintained nursery schools and non-maintained special schools judged inadequate are not subject to academy orders. We will monitor them as set out in the section 8 handbook.

Taking a school out of a category of concern

169. When an inspection team judges that a school that has been subject to special measures no longer requires special measures, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school:

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

170. When an inspection team judges that a school previously judged to have serious weaknesses no longer has serious weaknesses, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school:

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

After the inspection

Arrangements for publishing the report[footnote 50]

171. The lead inspector is responsible for writing the inspection report and submitting the evidence to Ofsted shortly after the inspection ends. The text of the report should explain the judgements and reflect the evidence. The findings in the report should be consistent with the feedback given to the school at the end of the inspection.

172. Inspection reports will be quality assured before we send a draft to the school. In most circumstances, the school will receive the draft report within 18 working days after the end of the inspection. The draft report is restricted and confidential to the relevant personnel (as determined by the school), including those responsible for governance, and should not be shared more widely or published. We may also send the draft report to the DfE and other bodies as necessary. This will only take place following moderation or quality assurance.

173. The school will have 5 working days to comment on the draft report, inspection process and findings. We will consider all comments. We will respond to them when we share the final report with the school within 30 working days after the inspection.

174. If the school wishes to make a formal complaint, it has 5 working days after we have shared the final report with the school (not necessarily the same as 5 school days) in which to do so. If a complaint is not submitted, we will normally publish the report on our reports website 3 working days later. If a complaint has been submitted, the publication of the report may be delayed.

175. Once a school has received its final report, it is required to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that every parent of a registered pupil at the school receives a copy of the report within 5 working days.[footnote 51] After that time, the report will normally be published on Ofsted's website. However, we may publish the report any time after the school has received it.

176. In all cases, the inspection process should not be treated as complete until all inspection activity has been carried out and the final version of the inspection report has been sent to the school.

177. The evidence base for the inspection must be retained in line with Ofsted's retention and disposal policy. This is normally for 6 years from when the report is published. We may decide that retaining it for longer is warranted for research purposes.

Quality assurance and complaints

Quality assurance

178. All inspectors are responsible for the quality of their work. The lead inspector must ensure that inspections are carried out in accordance with the principles of inspection and the code of conduct.

179. We monitor the quality of inspections through a range of formal processes and HMI/Senior HMI visit some schools or monitor remotely to quality assure inspections. We may also evaluate the quality of an inspection evidence base. The lead inspector will be responsible for giving team inspectors feedback about the quality of their work and their conduct.

180. All schools are invited to take part in a voluntary post-inspection survey in order to contribute to inspection development. The link to this survey is provided when the school receives the final copy of its inspection report.

Handling concerns and complaints

181. The great majority of our work is carried out smoothly and without incident. If concerns do arise during the inspection, they should be raised with the lead inspector as soon as possible, in order to resolve issues before the inspection is completed. Any concerns raised, and actions taken, will be recorded in the inspection evidence.

182. If it is not possible to resolve concerns during the inspection or through submitting comments in response to the draft report, the school may wish to lodge a formal complaint on receipt of the final report. The lead inspector will ensure that the school is informed that it is able to make a formal complaint and that information about how to complain is available on GOV.UK.

Part 2. The evaluation schedule - how we will judge schools

183. The evaluation schedule is not exhaustive. It does not replace the professional judgement of inspectors. Inspectors must interpret the way that grades are described according to pupils' age, stage and phase of education.

184. Inspectors will make judgements on the following:

and the 4 key judgements:

and, where relevant, judgements on the quality of provision in:

185. Inspectors use the following 4-point scale to make all judgements:

Reaching a judgement of outstanding

186. Outstanding is a challenging and exacting judgement. In order to reach this standard, inspectors will determine whether the school meets all the criteria for good under that judgement, and does so securely and consistently. In other words, it is not enough that the school is strong against some aspects of the judgement and not against others, but it must meet each and every good criterion. In addition, there are further criteria set out under the outstanding judgement, which the school will also need to meet. Our aim in making this change is that schools should only be judged outstanding in a particular area if they are performing exceptionally, and this exceptional performance in that area is consistent and secure across the whole school.

Reaching a judgement of good, requires improvement or inadequate

187. When considering a judgement of good or requires improvement, inspectors will look at whether the overall quality of the school is most closely aligned to the descriptors set out. A school will be inadequate under a particular judgement if one or more of the inadequate criteria applies, unless that inadequate criteria applies solely due to the impact of COVID-19.

Overall effectiveness

188. Inspectors must use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to attend the school. In making their judgements about a school's overall effectiveness, inspectors will consider whether the standard of education is good or whether it exceeds good and is outstanding. If it is not good, then inspectors will consider whether it requires improvement or is inadequate.

189. In judging the overall effectiveness, inspectors will take account of the 4 key judgements.

190. In coming to each of these key judgements, inspectors will also draw on evidence from the inspection of any early years provision or sixth-form provision and consider its impact in the wider context of the school.

191. Inspectors will judge the effectiveness of any early years provision or sixth-form provision. For either case or both, inspectors must give a grade, summarise the key findings and explain the effectiveness grading in the inspection report. However, inspectors may decide not to give a grade and not to report on the early years or sixth-form provision if there is the risk that it is possible to identify individual pupils because numbers are so small. Typically, this will be when there are fewer than 5 pupils.

192. The grade for early years and/or the grade for the sixth-form provision may be the same as, or higher or lower than, the overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors will take into account the size of the early years and sixth-form provision in relation to the size of the school when considering the impact of these judgements on the overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors will explain any difference between the early years and/or sixth-form provision grade(s) and the overall effectiveness grade in the report.

193. Inspectors will always make a written judgement about the effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding pupils.

194. Before making the final judgement on overall effectiveness, inspectors will always consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school, and evaluate the extent to which the school's education provision meets different pupils' needs, including pupils with SEND.

Grade descriptors for overall effectiveness

Outstanding (1)

Requires improvement (3)

Inadequate (4)

The judgement on the overall effectiveness will be inadequate when any one of the key judgements is inadequate and/or safeguarding is ineffective.

The quality of education

195. Inspectors will take a rounded view of the quality of education that a school provides to all its pupils, including the most disadvantaged pupils (see definition in paragraph 112) and pupils with SEND. Inspectors will consider the school's curriculum, which is the substance of what is taught with a specific plan of what pupils need to know in total and in each subject.

196. Inspectors will consider the extent to which the school's curriculum sets out the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain at each stage (we call this 'intent'). They will also consider the way that the curriculum developed or adopted by the school is taught and assessed in order to support pupils to build their knowledge and to apply that knowledge as skills (we call this 'implementation'). Finally, inspectors will consider the outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received (we call this the 'impact').

Intent

197. In evaluating the school's educational intent, inspectors will primarily consider the curriculum leadership provided by school, subject and curriculum leaders.

198. The judgement focuses on factors that both research and inspection evidence indicate contribute most strongly to an effective education in which pupils achieve highly. These factors are listed below.

The school's curriculum is rooted in the solid consensus of the school's leaders about the knowledge and skills that pupils need in order to take advantage of opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. In this way, it can powerfully address social disadvantage.

It is clear what end points the curriculum is building towards and what pupils need to know and be able to do to reach those end points.

The school's curriculum is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been taught before and towards its clearly defined end points.

The curriculum reflects the school's local context by addressing typical gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills. Curriculum planning accounts for delays and gaps in learning that arise as a result of the pandemic.

The curriculum remains as broad as possible for as long as possible, including when delivered remotely. Pupils are able to study a strong academic core of subjects, such as those offered by the EBacc.

There is high academic/vocational/technical ambition for all pupils, and the school does not offer disadvantaged pupils or pupils with SEND a reduced curriculum.

Curriculum flexibility

199. The curriculum sets out the aims of a programme of education. It also sets out the structure for those aims to be implemented, including the knowledge and skills to be gained at each stage. It enables the evaluation of pupils' knowledge and skills against those expectations.

200. All pupils in maintained schools are expected to study the basic curriculum, which includes national curriculum, religious education and age-appropriate relationships and sex education.[footnote 52] Academies are expected to offer all pupils a broad curriculum that should be similar in breadth and ambition.[footnote 53]

201. We will judge schools taking radically different approaches to the curriculum fairly. We recognise the importance of schools' autonomy to choose their own curriculum approaches. If leaders are able to show that they have thought carefully, that they have built a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing, and that it has been implemented effectively, then inspectors will assess a school's curriculum favourably.

Curriculum narrowing

202. Our research has shown that some schools narrow the curriculum available to pupils, particularly in key stages 2 and 3. Our research also shows that this has a disproportionately negative effect on the most disadvantaged pupils. In key stage 1, inspectors need to check that pupils are able to read, write and use mathematical knowledge, ideas and operations so they are able to access a broad and balanced curriculum at key stage 2.[footnote 54] In secondary education, inspectors will expect to see a broad, rich curriculum. Inspectors will be particularly alert to signs of narrowing in the key stage 2 and 3 curriculums. If a school has shortened key stage 3, inspectors will look to see that the school has made provision to ensure that pupils still have the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects, commensurate with the national curriculum, in Years 7 to 9.

203. At the heart of an effective key stage 4 curriculum is a strong academic core: the EBacc. The government's response to its EBacc consultation, published in July 2017, confirmed that the large majority of pupils should be expected to study the EBacc. It is therefore the government's national ambition that 75% of Year 10 pupils in state-funded mainstream schools should be starting to study EBacc GCSE courses nationally by 2022 (taking their examinations in 2024), rising to 90% by 2025 (taking their examinations in 2027). This is an ambition, and not a target for any individual school. Inspectors will not make a judgement about the quality of education based solely or primarily on its progress towards the EBacc ambition. Nevertheless, it is an important factor in understanding a school's level of ambition for its pupils. It is, therefore, important that inspectors understand what schools are doing to prepare for this to be achieved, and they should take those preparations into consideration when evaluating the intent of the school's curriculum.

Cultural capital

204. As part of making the judgement about the quality of education, inspectors will consider the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Our understanding of 'knowledge and cultural capital' is derived from the following wording in the national curriculum:[footnote 55]

It is the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

Sources of evidence specific to curriculum intent

205. Inspectors will draw evidence about leaders' curriculum intent principally from discussion with senior and subject leaders. Inspectors will explore:

206. Inspectors will bear in mind that developing and embedding an effective curriculum takes time, and that leaders may only be partway through the process of adopting or redeveloping a curriculum. If leaders have an accurate evaluative understanding of current curriculum practice in their school and have identified appropriate next steps (taking into account any impact of COVID-19) to improve curriculum quality and develop curriculum expertise across the school, inspectors will evaluate 'intent' favourably when reaching the holistic quality of education judgement. They will recognise that the criteria for a judgement of good are the best fit.

207. Inspectors will also consider any documents that leaders normally use in their curriculum planning, but will not request materials to be produced or provided in any specific format for inspection.

Implementation

208. In evaluating the implementation of the curriculum, inspectors will primarily evaluate how the curriculum is taught at subject and classroom level.

209. Research and inspection evidence suggest that the most important factors in how, and how effectively, the curriculum is taught and assessed are the following:

Developing understanding, not memorising disconnected facts

210. Learning can be defined as an alteration in long-term memory. If nothing has altered in long-term memory, nothing has been learned. However, transfer to long-term memory depends on the rich processes described above. In order to develop understanding, pupils connect new knowledge with existing knowledge. Pupils also need to develop fluency and unconsciously apply their knowledge as skills. This must not be reduced to, or confused with, simply memorising facts. Inspectors will be alert to unnecessary or excessive attempts to simply prompt pupils to learn glossaries or long lists of disconnected facts.

The school's use of assessment

211. When used effectively, assessment helps pupils to embed knowledge and use it fluently, and assists teachers in producing clear next steps for pupils. However, assessment is too often carried out in a way that creates unnecessary burdens for staff and pupils. It is therefore important that leaders and teachers understand its limitations and avoid misuse and overuse.

212. Inspectors will therefore evaluate how assessment is used in the school to support the teaching of the curriculum, but not substantially increase teachers' workloads by necessitating too much one-to-one teaching or overly demanding programmes that are almost impossible to deliver without lowering expectations of some pupils. This will include considering how the school responds to any gaps in learning that have arisen from the pandemic.

213. The collection of data can also create an additional workload for leaders and staff. Inspectors will look at whether schools' collections of attainment or progress data are proportionate, represent an efficient use of school resources, and are sustainable for staff. The Teacher Workload Advisory Group's report, 'Making data work', recommends that school leaders should not have more than 2 or 3 data collection points a year, and that these should be used to inform clear actions.

214. Schools choosing to use more than 2 or 3 data collection points a year should have clear reasoning for what interpretations and actions are informed by the frequency of collection; the time taken to set assessments, collate, analyse and interpret the data; and the time taken to then act on the findings. We understand that assessment arrangements may have been altered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors will seek to understand how staff are supported and the steps that are being taken to remove the risk of additional workload. If a school's system for data collection is disproportionate, inefficient or unsustainable for staff, inspectors will reflect this in their reporting on the school.

Sources of evidence specific to curriculum implementation

215. The following activities will provide inspectors with evidence about the school's implementation of its intended curriculum:

discussions with curriculum and subject leaders and teachers about the programme of study that classes are following for particular subjects or topics, the intended end points towards which those pupils are working, and their view of how those pupils are progressing through the curriculum

discussions with subject specialists and leaders about the content and pedagogical content knowledge of teachers and what is done to support teachers, including with remote teaching

discussions with classroom teachers about how often they are expected to record, upload and review data

where relevant, discussions with subject leaders and teachers about how the school curriculum has been delivered remotely, reviews of pupils' work completed remotely

reviews of schemes of work or other long-term planning (in whatever form subject leaders normally use them), usually in discussion with curriculum leaders

216. Inspectors should refer to the 'Lesson visits and work scrutiny' section in Part 1 of this handbook for guidance about what constitutes an appropriate sample of pupils.

217. In order to triangulate evidence effectively, inspectors will ensure that they gather a variety of these types of evidence in relation to the same sample of pupils. Inspectors will also ensure that the samples of pupils they choose are sufficient to allow them to reach a valid and reliable judgement on the quality of education offered by the school overall. Guidance on how to ensure that this evidence is both sufficiently valid and reliable is set out under 'Overarching approach to inspection' in Part 1 of this handbook.

Impact

218. When inspectors evaluate the impact of the education provided by the school, their focus will primarily be on what pupils have learned.

219. Inspection experience and research show that the most important factors to consider are the following:

A well-constructed, well-taught curriculum will lead to pupils learning more and so achieving good results. Therefore, such a curriculum contributes to evidence of impact. There need be no conflict between teaching a broad, rich curriculum and achieving success in examinations and tests.

Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.

Pupils are making progress in that they know more, remember more and are able to do more. They are learning what is intended in the curriculum.

All learning builds towards an end point. Pupils are being prepared for their next stage of education, training or employment at each stage of their learning. Inspectors will consider whether pupils are ready for the next stage by the point they leave the school or provision that they attend.

Pupils in sixth form are ready for the next stage and are going on to appropriate, high-quality destinations. Inspectors will also consider this.

If pupils are not able to read to an age-appropriate level and fluency, they will be incapable of accessing the rest of the curriculum, and they will rapidly fall behind their peers (see paragraphs 334 to 336).

National assessments and examinations are useful indicators of pupils' outcomes, but they only represent a sample of what pupils have learned. Inspectors will consider any outcomes data, where this is available in published national data, but it does not constitute a substitute for inspectors' first-hand inspection activities.

Inspectors will not use schools' internal assessment data as evidence

220. Inspectors will not look at non-statutory internal progress and attainment data[footnote 58] on section 5 and section 8 inspections of schools.[footnote 59] That does not mean that schools cannot use data if they consider it appropriate. Inspectors will, however, put more focus on the curriculum and less on schools' generation, analysis and interpretation of data. Teachers have told us they believe this will help us play our part in reducing unnecessary workload. Inspectors will be interested in the conclusions drawn and actions taken from any internal assessment information, but they will not examine or verify that information first hand. Inspectors will use published national performance data as a starting point on inspection, where it is available.

221. Inspectors will use the official IDSR as a starting point and get to see first hand the quality of education as experienced by pupils and understand how well leaders know what it is like to be a pupil at the school.

222. Inspectors will ask schools to explain why they have decided to collect whatever assessment data they collect, what they are drawing from their data and how that informs their curriculum and teaching.

Sources of evidence specific to curriculum impact

223. Evidence of impact should be drawn together from a combination of inspection activities. None of these on their own is sufficient to make an assessment of the impact. Inspectors will gather evidence of the impact of the quality of education offered by the school from the following sources:

the progress that pupils are making in terms of knowing more, remembering more and being able to do more

the nationally generated performance information about pupils' progress and attainment, where it is available in published national data. This information is available in the IDSR, which is available to schools and inspectors, and will be analysed for its statistical significance in advance by Ofsted's data and insight team. Inspectors will only use performance information published since the previous section 5 report or the previous monitoring inspection

first-hand evidence of how pupils are doing, drawing together evidence from the interviews, lesson visits, work scrutinies and documentary review described above (see 'Implementation - sources of evidence')

nationally published information about the destinations to which its pupils progress when they leave the school (see 'Destinations of key stage 4 and 16 to 18 (KS5) students')

in primary schools, listening to a range of pupils read

discussions with pupils about what they have remembered about the content they have studied

224. Inspectors will recognise that some schools are in turn-around, including when they have been brokered into a MAT or rebrokered from one to another. In these schools, the quality of education may have been poor and may now be showing significant and sustained improvement. In these situations, nationally generated performance data may lag behind the current quality of education in the school and so inspectors will view the national data in this context.

Reaching a single quality of education judgement, drawing together intent, implementation and impact

225. Inspectors will not grade intent, implementation and impact separately. Instead, inspectors will reach a single graded judgement for the quality of education, drawing on all the evidence they have gathered and using their professional judgement.

Grade descriptors for the quality of education

Note: Some sections of the criteria appear in [square brackets] below. This is to mark that they are transitional only, because we recognise that not all schools will have had the opportunity to complete the process of adopting or constructing their curriculum fully. We will keep our handbooks and methodology under review as circumstances change and we continue to emerge from the pandemic.

226. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Good (2)
Intent Implementation Impact
Requires improvement (3)

The quality of education provided by the school is not good.

Behaviour and attitudes

227. The behaviour and attitudes judgement considers how leaders and staff create a safe, calm, orderly and positive environment in the school and the impact this has on the behaviour and attitudes of pupils.

228. The judgement focuses on the factors that research and inspection evidence indicate contribute most strongly to pupils' positive behaviour and attitudes (see HMCI's commentary on curriculum and the education inspection framework), thereby giving them the greatest possible opportunity to achieve positive outcomes. These factors are:

229. Our evidence for the importance of each of these factors comes from our inspection experience, areas of agreement in academic research and our own research. A full note of how the criteria relate to the available research can be found in our research commentary.

Pupils who have particular needs

230. The school may be working with pupils with particular needs in order to improve their behaviour or their attendance. When this is the case, 'behaviour and conduct that reflects the school's high expectations and their consistent, fair implementation' are likely to include demonstrable improvement in the attendance and behaviour of these pupils, taking account of the individual circumstances of the school.

Pupils who are not in the school during the inspection

231. Inspectors will gather evidence about the typical behaviour of all the pupils who attend the school, including those who are not present on the day of inspection. If there is evidence that a school has deliberately removed pupils from the school site on the day of inspection or has arranged for them to be absent, and inspectors reasonably believe that this was done in order to have an impact on the inspection, then inspectors are likely to judge both behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management to be inadequate.

Exclusions

232. Headteachers have the right to exclude pupils when there are legitimate reasons for them to do so. Used correctly, exclusion is a vital measure for headteachers to use. Exclusions must be legal and justified. Permanent exclusions should only be used as a last resort, in response to a serious breach or persistent breaches of the school's behaviour policy, and when allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

233. If a school uses fixed-term and internal exclusions, inspectors will evaluate their effectiveness, including the rates, patterns and reasons for exclusion and whether any pupils are repeatedly excluded. Schools should have a strategy for reintegrating a pupil who returns to school following a fixed-term exclusion and for managing their future behaviour. Inspectors will consider how well the school is recognising and acting to address any patterns that exist, because disruptive behaviour or sudden changes in behaviour can be an indication of unmet needs or a change in another aspect of a young person's life.

234. Inspectors will consider whether the school is developing the use of alternative strategies to exclusion and taking account of any safeguarding risks to pupils who may be excluded. Inspectors will recognise when schools are doing all that they can to support pupils at risk of exclusion, including through tenacious attempts to engage local support services.

Sources of evidence specific to behaviour and attitudes

235. Inspectors will hold discussions with pupils and staff to gather evidence about school culture and practice in relation to pupils' behaviour, support for staff and other systems. In setting up discussions, inspectors will select a sample of staff who research suggests are most affected by pupils' challenging behaviour. These are trainees, supply staff, NQTs, administrative support staff and catering staff, as well as other members of staff. The discussions will provide inspectors with valuable information that includes the views of those who most urgently require the school's support in managing pupils' behaviour. Where practically possible, inspectors should carry out discussions with individuals, not groups, to allow members of staff to give clear evidence without being influenced by the views or expectations of others in the group when talking about a sensitive issue.

236. Inspectors will speak to pupils from a range of different backgrounds and who have different experiences of the school's approach to behaviour. This should include pupils who have experienced sanctions under the school's behaviour policy. Inspectors will take into account the views of these pupils, their experiences of others' behaviour and attitudes towards them, and their understanding of the importance of positive behaviour in school and beyond school.

237. Inspectors will evaluate the experience of particular individuals and groups, such as pupils for whom referrals have been made to the local authority (and check, for a small sample of these pupils, how the referral was made and the thoroughness of the follow-up), pupils with SEND, children looked after, those with medical needs and those with mental health needs. In order to do this, inspectors will look at the experience of a small sample of these pupils and consider the way the school is working with the multi-agency group to ensure that the child receives the support they need. For pupils with SEND, this will include ensuring that appropriate reasonable adjustments are made in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND code of practice.

238. The pupil and staff surveys used in inspection contain questions about safeguarding, behaviour and discipline, bullying, how respondents feel about the school and how well supported and respected they feel they are in the school. Inspectors will meet school leaders to account for the results of the interviews and surveys of pupils and staff.

239. Over the course of inspection, inspectors will carry out evidence-gathering activities. In some cases, inspectors will be able to gather this evidence as part of other activities they are carrying out. The activities are:

Grade descriptors for behaviour and attitudes

240. In order for behaviour and attitudes to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

241. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Good (2)

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. These expectations are commonly understood and applied consistently and fairly. This is reflected in pupils' positive behaviour and conduct. Low-level disruption is not tolerated and pupils' behaviour does not disrupt lessons or the day-to-day life of the school. Leaders support all staff well in managing pupils' behaviour. Staff make sure that pupils follow appropriate routines.

Leaders, staff and pupils create a positive environment in which bullying is not tolerated. If bullying, aggression, discrimination and derogatory language occur, they are dealt with quickly and effectively and are not allowed to spread.

There is demonstrable improvement in the behaviour and attendance of pupils who have particular needs.

Pupils' attitudes to their education are positive. They are committed to their learning, know how to study effectively and do so, are resilient to setbacks and take pride in their achievements.

Pupils have high attendance, within the context of the pandemic. They come to school on time and are punctual to lessons. When this is not the case, the school takes appropriate, swift and effective action.

Fixed-term and internal exclusions are used appropriately. The school reintegrates excluded pupils on their return and manages their behaviour effectively. Permanent exclusions are used appropriately as a last resort (see statutory guidance on school exclusion).

Relationships among pupils and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture; pupils are safe and they feel safe.

Requires improvement (3)

Personal development

242. The curriculum provided by schools should extend beyond the academic, technical or vocational. Schools support pupils to develop in many diverse aspects of life. The personal development judgement evaluates the school's intent to provide for the personal development of all pupils, and the quality with which the school implements this work. It recognises that the impact of the school's provision for personal development will often not be assessable during pupils' time at school.

243. At the same time as the school is working with pupils, those pupils are also being influenced by other factors in their home environment, their community and elsewhere. Schools can teach pupils how to build their confidence and resilience, for example, but they cannot always determine how well young people draw on this. Schools are crucial in preparing pupils for their adult lives, teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with plentiful opportunities to do so. In this judgement, therefore, inspectors will seek to evaluate the quality and intent of what a school provides (either directly or by drawing on high-quality agencies and providers, for example the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, Cadet Forces and the National Citizenship Service), but will not attempt to measure the impact of the school's work on the lives of individual pupils. Where usual opportunities have been disrupted by the pandemic, inspectors will look at whether the school has found alternative approaches to providing a rich range of personal development opportunities.

244. This judgement focuses on the dimensions of the personal development of pupils that our education system has agreed, either by consensus or statute, are the most significant. These are:

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

245. Inspectors will evaluate the effectiveness of the school's provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.[footnote 62] This is a broad concept that can be seen across the school's activities, but draws together many of the areas covered by the personal development judgement.

246. Provision for the spiritual development of pupils includes developing their:

247. Provision for the moral development of pupils includes developing their:

248. Provision for the social development of pupils includes developing their:

249. Provision for the cultural development of pupils includes developing their:

understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others

understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain

ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities

knowledge of Britain's democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain

willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities

interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities

Relationships and sex education

250. Relationships education is compulsory for all primary school pupils and relationships and sex education is compulsory for all secondary school pupils. Health education is also compulsory for all state-funded schools only.

251. In light of the disruption to and partial closure of schools caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the DfE has provided further clarification of the legal requirements, and where schools have flexibility, in the 'Schools coronavirus operational guidance'.

252. All schools are required to have taught some of the new curriculum, published a policy and consulted parents on this, during the academic year 2020 to 2021.

253. If a school is failing to meet its obligations, inspectors will consider this when reaching the personal development and leadership and management judgements.

254. Inspectors will be sympathetic to schools that, as a result of the pandemic, have not been able to fully implement the new curriculum, provided that they:

255. See the guidance 'Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics' for more information.

Sources of evidence specific to personal development

256. Inspectors will use a range of evidence to evaluate personal development, including:

how curriculum subjects such as citizenship, RE, and other areas such as personal, social, health and economic education, and relationships and sex education, contribute to pupils' personal development

how well leaders promote British values through the curriculum, assemblies, wider opportunities, visits, discussions and literature

how well leaders develop pupils' character through the education that they provide

where appropriate, the quality of debate and discussions that pupils have

pupils' understanding of the protected characteristics and how equality and diversity are promoted[footnote 64] (for more information, see the guidance 'Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics in schools')

the quality of careers information, education, advice and guidance, and how well it benefits pupils in choosing and deciding on their next steps

Grade descriptors for personal development

257. In order for personal development to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently, and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

258. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Requires improvement (3)

Personal development in the school is not good.

Leadership and management

259. The leadership and management judgement is about how leaders, managers and those responsible for governance ensure that the education that the school provides has a positive impact on all its pupils. It focuses on the areas where inspection and research indicate that leaders and managers can have the strongest effect on the quality of the education provided by the school. Important factors include:

260. Our evidence for the importance of each of these factors comes from our inspection experience, areas of consensus in academic research and our own research. You can find a full note of how the criteria relate to the available research in our overview of research.

261. Paragraphs 292 to 302 set out the importance and place of safeguarding.

Leadership and management in school

262. Research suggests that leadership and management can be highly effective when they are shared by different individuals and distributed across different levels in a school. Inspectors will look at the work of headteachers, senior leaders, subject leaders and others with leadership and management roles when reaching this judgement.

Leadership and management in multi-academy trusts[footnote 65]

263. When a school is part of a MAT, it is important for inspectors to remember that the trust is one entity, and that leaders and managers of the MAT are responsible for the quality of education provided in all the schools that make up the MAT.

264. It is highly likely that parts of some of the leadership functions described in the grade criteria are performed by MAT leaders (for example, the CEO or an education director) and not solely by individual leaders of the school. School leaders are responsible for giving inspectors accurate and appropriate information about those roles and responsibilities. If leadership functions are performed by MAT leaders, then inspectors will consider whether they need to meet MAT leaders to gather evidence.

265. A MAT CEO or their delegate may request to meet inspectors as a part of the inspection. They may also request to attend key inspection team meetings at the end of each inspection day. These are appropriate requests and should be accommodated. These individuals, however, should abide by the same code of conduct as all others involved in the inspection.

Governance

266. Inspectors will seek evidence of the impact of those responsible for governance.

267. In a maintained school, those responsible for governance are the school governors. In a stand-alone academy, it is the trustees.

268. In a MAT, the trustees are responsible for governance. Inspectors will ask to speak to one or more of the trustees. It may be that, on occasion, the trustees have chosen to delegate some of their powers to the members of the 'academy committee' or 'local governing board' at school level.[footnote 66] If inspectors are informed that a local governing body has delegated responsibilities, they should establish clearly which powers are with the trustees, which are with the leaders of the MAT and which are with the local governing board. They should then ensure that both their inspection activities and the inspection report reflect this.

269. Inspectors will need to bear in mind, when inspecting academies that are part of a MAT, that governance functions can be quite different from those in a maintained school. Some functions that a governing body in a maintained school would carry out may be done by management or executive staff in a trust. If this is the case, it will still be important for inspectors to ascertain the trust board's role in that process and how it ensures that these functions are carried out properly.

270. The governance handbook sets out the purpose of governance, which is to provide confident, strategic leadership, and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.

271. The governance handbook also sets out the statutory functions of all boards, no matter what type of school or how many schools they govern. There are 3 core functions:

272. Inspectors will explore how governors carry out each of these functions. For example, the clarity of the school's vision, ethos and strategic direction will have a significant impact on the decisions that leaders make about the curriculum. Inspectors will consider whether the work of governors in this respect is supporting the school to provide a high-quality education for its pupils.

273. In addition, those with governance/oversight are responsible for ensuring that the school fulfils its statutory duties, for example under the Equality Act 2010, and other duties, for example in relation to the 'Prevent' duty and safeguarding. Please note that, when inspectors consider whether governors are fulfilling this responsibility, they are not expected to construct or review a list of duties.

Use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding

274. Inspectors will gather evidence about the use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding, particularly regarding:

Evaluating the impact of external support

275. If the school has received support, for example from the local authority, inspectors will not evaluate and report on the quality and the impact of the support and challenge on improvement in the school. Instead, they will comment on the action that the school has taken and the impact that this has had on the quality of the school's work.

276. If a school is part of a MAT and is receiving support from within the MAT, inspectors will be clear that this is internal, not external, support.

Inspecting off-site provision

277. Inspectors must evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend alternative or off-site provision. Inspectors need to be assured that leaders have ensured that the alternative provision is a suitable and safe placement that will meet pupils' academic/vocational/technical needs, pastoral needs and, if appropriate, SEND needs. Inspectors will speak to a selection of pupils who attend off-site provision, where possible, including potentially through video/telephone calls.

278. Inspectors must ask the school about the registration status of any alternative providers that they use. Any provider of alternative provision must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care ( EHC) plan. If a school uses alternative provision that should be registered but is not, inspectors will carefully consider whether this affects the likelihood that pupils are safeguarded effectively.

279. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered alternative providers during the inspection, as directed by the relevant Ofsted region. This may be completed remotely. This is to assess the adequacy of the school's quality assurance process. Inspectors should visit any registered alternative provision site that Ofsted has not yet inspected to assess the adequacy of the school's quality assurance process.

280. Inspectors will consider the quality of registered alternative provision using Ofsted's latest inspection report and assess its impact on the overall quality of education for pupils in a proportionate way.

281. Inspectors will consider:

the reasons why leaders considered off-site provision to be the best option for the pupils concerned

whether leaders have made the appropriate checks on the registration status of the provision

what safeguarding checks leaders have made and continue to make to ensure that the provision is a safe place for their pupils to attend

the extent to which leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a well-planned and sequenced, well-taught, broad and balanced curriculum

the attendance and behaviour of the pupils who attend the provision

how well the provision promotes the pupils' personal development

282. If a school uses a provider that is not registered, the inspector must contact the duty desk so that staff can notify Ofsted's unregistered schools team. Following the inspection, the team will determine if we need to take further action because there is reasonable cause to believe that the setting is operating as an unregistered school.

283. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if:

Gaming

284. Inspectors will challenge leaders and managers about unusual patterns of examination entry that appear to 'game the system', for example if they are entering pupils for courses that are not in their educational best interest. The IDSR will provide inspectors with areas to investigate when nationally available data suggests that gaming may be taking place. If inspectors uncover evidence that deliberate gaming is taking place, the leadership and management judgement is likely to be inadequate.

285. Inspectors will also challenge leaders and managers about unusual patterns in the way that the school records attendance, including the use of inaccurate register codes or changes to when the register is taken. For example, if inspectors reasonably believe that a school is inaccurately recording attendance, has changed the timing of session registration to game attendance rates or is using part-time timetables inappropriately, then inspectors are likely to judge leadership and management to be inadequate.

Inclusion and off-rolling

286. Schools should have an inclusive culture that supports arrangements to:

287. There is no legal definition of 'off-rolling'. However, we define 'off-rolling' as:

The practice of removing a pupil from the school roll without a formal, permanent exclusion or by encouraging a parent to remove their child from the school roll, when the removal is primarily in the interests of the school rather than in the best interests of the pupil. Off-rolling in these circumstances is a form of 'gaming'.

288. When an inspection finds evidence of off-rolling taking place by our definition, inspectors should always address this in the inspection report. They may, depending on the scale and impact, need to consider it when reaching the judgement. If the off-rolling is lawful, inspectors must be careful to consider the context of the off-rolling and be clear about what impact the off-rolling has had on pupils involved and on the school. There are many different activities that can constitute off-rolling, so there can be no hard and fast rules as to how it should be addressed. However, if inspectors determine the school to be off-rolling according to our definition, then the leadership and management of the school are likely to be judged inadequate.

289. There are other reasons why a school might remove a pupil from the school roll, such as when a pupil moves house or a parent decides, without encouragement or coercion by the school, to home educate their child. This is not off-rolling. If the pupil transfers to the roll of their alternative provision, and this is genuinely in the best interest of the pupil, this is not off-rolling. If a school appropriately removes a pupil from the roll due to a formal permanent exclusion and follows the proper processes, this is not off-rolling. Headteachers have the right to exclude pupils when there are legitimate reasons for them to do so. Used correctly, exclusion is a vital measure for headteachers to use.

290. Dual-registering or dual-coding a pupil in 2 schools or providers, or using alternative provision while they remain registered at the school, is not off-rolling because the pupil has not left the roll of their school. However, this may still be a form of gaming if it is not in the best interests of the pupil. Managed moves can be an effective tool in breaking a cycle of poor behaviour, but they can also be a form of off-rolling. Managed moves are not off-rolling only when they are genuinely used in a pupil's best interests, within the statutory guidance. If a school uses managed moves, inspectors may ask to see evidence of the ways in which these have been carried out.

291. Inspectors will be interested in high numbers of pupils moving on and off roll, but this may not in itself mean that off-rolling is taking place.

Safeguarding

292. All schools should have a culture of safeguarding. This means they should have effective arrangements to:

identify children, pupils and students who may need early help, and who are at risk of harm or have been harmed. This can include, but is not limited to, neglect, abuse (including by their peers), grooming or exploitation

secure the help that children, pupils and students need, and if required, referring in a timely way to those who have the expertise to help

manage safe recruitment and allegations about adults who may be a risk to children, pupils, students and vulnerable adults

293. Inspectors will not grade this aspect of a school's work. However, inspectors will always make a written judgement under 'leadership and management' in the report about whether the arrangements for safeguarding children and pupils are effective.

294. Inspectors must go beyond ensuring that schools meet statutory requirements, and beyond simply reviewing documents, to evaluate the safeguarding culture that has been established in the school.

295. As well as understanding Ofsted's inspecting safeguarding policies, inspectors should be familiar with relevant, including statutory, guidance on safeguarding:

296. On all inspections, inspectors need to determine whether there have been any safeguarding incidents or allegations since the last inspection, and whether the school has taken appropriate action to safeguard the children affected and/or to deal with allegations.[footnote 68]

297. On a very small number of occasions, inspectors may come across, during an inspection, evidence or allegations of child abuse. Inspectors must not attempt to investigate any incident of child abuse but will satisfy themselves that concerns about a child's safety are referred, as appropriate, to the relevant local authority's children's services department. The referral will normally be made by the safeguarding lead for the school (see 'Safeguarding concerns: guidance for inspectors').

298. If a child discloses to an inspector that they are suffering or at risk of abuse, the inspector will stop all other activity and focus on ensuring that the child receives the help they need. Specific guidance on what to do in this situation can be found in 'Safeguarding concerns: guidance for inspectors'.

299. The guidance 'Inspecting safeguarding in early years, education and skills settings' explains how incidents will be covered in the inspection report.

300. Safeguarding is ineffective when there are serious or widespread failures in the school's/setting's safeguarding arrangements that give cause for concern because children are not protected and statutory requirements are not being met, or because insufficient action is being taken to remedy weaknesses following a serious failure of safeguarding arrangements.

301. The following are examples of what ineffective safeguarding might include.

302. If inspectors cannot corroborate the evidence that they gather about the effectiveness of the school's arrangements to safeguard pupils, by talking to pupils on inspection, then safeguarding will likely be judged ineffective.

The impact of safeguarding on the leadership and management judgement

303. When safeguarding is ineffective, this is likely to lead to an inadequate leadership and management judgement. However, there may be circumstances when it is appropriate to judge a setting as requires improvement, rather than inadequate, if there are minor weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements that are easy to put right and do not leave children either being harmed or at risk of harm.

Separation

304. It is unlawful for schools to separate pupils on the basis of any protected characteristics such as sex, race or faith, while at school, unless permitted by the Equality Act 2010 for:

positive action to alleviate a disadvantage associated with a certain characteristic. This could, for example, include pupils of one race or sex getting additional work experience in a sector in which they are under-represented, or separating the pupils by gender for teaching in subjects if the school has evidence that this improves their academic outcomes (section 158)

competitive sport, games or other competitive activities in which physical strength, stamina or physique are significant factors in determining success or failure. A school is allowed to organise separate events for boys and girls (section 195)

305. If an inspector believes that a school may be separating pupils, they will contact the duty desk. If separation is taking place, inspectors will write about this clearly in the inspection report.

306. Where appropriate, inspectors will also refer to the following guidance:

Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics

307. From the start of the summer term 2021, how a school meets the expectations of the DfE's statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education will contribute to the leadership and management judgement.

308. Inspectors will be sympathetic to schools that, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, have not been able to fully implement the new curriculum, provided that they:

309. If a primary school does not teach about LGBT relationships, this will not have an impact on the leadership and management judgement as long as the school can satisfy inspectors that it has still fulfilled the requirements of the DfE 's statutory guidance. If it cannot do this, for example if it has failed to consult with parents, inspectors will consider this when making the leadership and management judgement. The school will not ordinarily receive a judgement for this better than requires improvement.

310. If a secondary school does not teach about LGBT relationships, it will not be meeting the expectations of the DfE 's statutory guidance. Inspectors will consider this when making the leadership and management judgement. The school will not ordinarily receive a judgement for this better than requires improvement.

311. See 'Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics' for further guidance.

Sources of evidence specific to leadership and management

312. Evidence used to evaluate the impact of leaders' work, both currently and over time, includes, but is not limited to:

meetings with leaders, including MAT senior staff if appropriate, to discuss how well they know the school and the quality of education that it provides for pupils

meetings with those responsible for governance, as appropriate, to evaluate how well they fulfil their statutory duties, including their duties under the Equality Act and in relation to safeguarding

documentary evidence provided by the school that demonstrates the effectiveness of the school's provision

interviews with staff and pupils to evidence how well leaders have created a positive culture

first-hand evidence gathered during the course of inspection

responses to the staff and pupil questionnaires and Ofsted Parent View; these will be particularly useful for judging the culture that has been established in the school by leaders and managers

any evidence the school has from regularly surveying its staff and the way in which leaders and managers have responded to concerns raised by staff or parents, for example about how senior leaders support teachers to tackle low-level disruptive behaviour

if there are unusual patterns of pupil movement, discussions with school leaders, the local authority and (where appropriate) the MAT about those movements

313. Inspectors will always report on the school's activity to gather the views of staff, whether through the school's internal procedures or through it using the Ofsted questionnaire. They will do this in the 'Information about this inspection' section.

Grade descriptors for leadership and management

314. In order for the leadership and management of a school to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently, and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

315. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Requires improvement (3)

Evaluating the quality of early years education in schools

316. Paragraphs 29 to 37 outline our approach to evaluating the quality of early years education in schools within the COVID-19 context.

317. Inspectors are required to grade the standards of education and care in any early years provision in schools and to write about its effectiveness in the inspection report.

318. Inspectors must use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a child in the early years provision, taking account of the ages of the children and whether they attend part time or full time.

319. The effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding children is reflected in the main judgement for the school.

320. Inspectors should take account of all the judgements made across the evaluation schedule. In particular, they should consider:

the extent to which leaders and staff plan, design and implement the curriculum

the extent to which the curriculum and care practices meet the needs of the range of children who attend, particularly any children with SEND

the progress all children make in their learning and development relative to their starting points and their readiness for the next stage of their education

children's personal, social and emotional development, including whether they feel safe and are secure, stimulated and happy

321. Inspectors will particularly consider the intent, implementation and impact of the school's early years curriculum. They will evaluate the impact that the quality of education has on children, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with SEND.

322. Inspectors will look at the children's achievements at the end of Reception over time, by the proportions reaching a good level of development. However, inspectors need to get beyond the data as quickly as possible to ascertain how well the curriculum is meeting children's needs. This will be evident in how well children know and remember more. Inspectors need to make careful inferences about children's current progress by drawing together evidence from a range of sources.

323. Schools that take 2- and 3-year-olds as part of their early years provision do not need to register that provision with Ofsted. We will inspect provision for 2- and 3-year olds under section 5. Inspectors should ensure that the judgement on the effectiveness of early years provision includes evaluation of the provision for 2- and 3-year-olds. Inspectors should also note if any children receive additional funding.

324. Any care that a school provides for children in the early years age range, before and/or after the school day or during school holidays, is considered as part of the evaluation of early years provision.

325. Inspectors will consider how well:[footnote 69]

leaders assure themselves that the aims of the early years foundation stage ( EYFS) are met and that it is sufficiently challenging for the children it serves. Staff ensure that the content, sequencing and progression in the 7 areas of learning are secured as appropriate

the content of the EYFS curriculum is taught in a logical progression, systematically and in a way that is explained effectively, so that it gives children the necessary foundations for the rest of their schooling

staff develop children's communication and language through singing songs, nursery rhymes and playing games

staff develop children's love of reading through reading aloud and telling stories and rhymes

children demonstrate their attitudes and behaviours through the key characteristics of effective learning:

Teaching should not be taken to imply a 'top down' or formal way of working. It is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment that adults provide and the attention given to the physical environment, as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do, as well as taking account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and how practitioners use this information to plan children's next steps in learning and to monitor their progress.

326. In addition, when observing provision for 2- and 3-year-olds, inspectors will consider the extent to which leaders and staff are:

Grade descriptors

327. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Good (2)
Intent

Leaders adopt or construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the knowledge, self-belief and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.

The curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced. It builds on what children know and can do, towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for their future learning.

There is a sharp focus on ensuring that children acquire a wide vocabulary, communicate effectively and, in Reception, secure a knowledge of phonics, which gives them the foundations for future learning, especially in preparation for them to become confident and fluent readers.

The school's approach to teaching early reading and synthetic phonics is systematic and ensures that all children learn to read words and simple sentences accurately by the end of Reception.

The school has the same academic ambitions for almost all children. For children with particular needs, such as those with SEND, their curriculum is designed to be ambitious and to meet their needs.

Implementation Impact

Children develop detailed knowledge and skills across the 7 areas of learning in an age-appropriate way. Children develop their vocabulary and use it across the EYFS curriculum. By the end of Reception, children use their knowledge of phonics to read accurately and with increasing speed and fluency.

Children are ready for the next stage of education, especially Year 1 in school, if applicable. They have the knowledge and skills they need to benefit from what school has to offer when it is time to move on. By the end of Reception, children achieve well, particularly those children with lower starting points.

By the end of Reception, children have the personal, physical and social skills they need to succeed in the next stage of their education. Most children achieve the early learning goals, particularly in mathematics and literacy.

Children enjoy, listen attentively and respond with comprehension to familiar stories, rhymes and songs that are appropriate to their age and stage of development. Children develop their vocabulary and understanding of language across the 7 areas of learning.

Children demonstrate their positive attitudes to learning through high levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. They listen intently and respond positively to adults and each other. Children are developing their resilience to setbacks and take pride in their achievements.

Children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour, understanding how these have an impact on others. They are developing a sense of right from wrong.

Requires improvement (3)

The effectiveness of the early years is not yet good.

Evaluating sixth-form provision in schools

328. Inspectors are required to grade the quality of education in any sixth-form provision in schools and to write about the sixth form in the inspection report. Inspectors must use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a student in the sixth form.

329. The effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding students is reflected in the main judgement for the school.

330. Inspectors should take account of the key judgement areas in the evaluation schedule. They should consider:

the extent to which leaders and teachers have high expectations for attainment and progress and the effectiveness of the systems they use to monitor and develop the quality of sixth-form programmes for all students, including the most disadvantaged and those with high needs

the effectiveness of high-quality impartial careers guidance in enabling all students to make progress and move on to a higher level of qualification, employment or further training when they are ready to do so

331. Through observing teaching and training activities and by holding discussions with students, teachers and support staff, inspectors will consider how well:

332. Inspection of apprenticeships training and T level technical education programmes are not in the scope of section 5 or section 8 inspections of schools.

Grade descriptors

333. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the professional judgement of the inspection team.

Requires improvement (3)

The quality of education in the sixth form is not yet good.

Part 3. Applying the EIF in different contexts

Applying the EIF to the teaching of early reading in infant, junior, primary and lower-middle schools

334. During all inspections of infant, junior, primary and lower-middle schools, inspectors must focus on how well pupils are taught to read as a main inspection activity. They will pay particular attention to pupils who are reading below age-related expectations (the lowest 20%) to assess how well the school is teaching phonics and supporting all children to become confident, fluent readers. This will include understanding how reading is taught remotely, where applicable.

335. Inspectors will listen to several low-attaining pupils in Years 1 to 3 read from unseen books appropriate to their stage of progress.[footnote 72] They should also draw on information from the school's policy for teaching reading, phonics assessments, phonics screening check results and lesson visits.

336. In reaching an evaluation against the 'quality of education' judgement, inspectors will consider whether:

Applying the EIF to the teaching of mathematics

337. When inspectors look at mathematics, they will evaluate the quality of a school's mathematics education through lesson visits, discussions with pupils and scrutiny of their work, reviewing curriculum plans, discussions with curriculum leaders, and examining any published data. This will include understanding how mathematics is taught remotely, where applicable.

338. Inspectors will consider what steps the school has taken to ensure that:

Applying the EIF in maintained nursery schools

339. Paragraphs 29 to 37 outline our approach to evaluating the quality of early years education in maintained nursery schools within the COVID-19 context.

340. Maintained nursery schools are early education providers that are legally constituted as schools. This is why we inspect them using the school inspection handbook. Like maintained schools, they normally have a headteacher, governing body, delegated budget and at least one teacher with qualified teacher status ( QTS).

341. Maintained nursery schools tend to have more disadvantaged children on roll than other early education providers. These schools are also likely to have a higher proportion of children already identified as having SEND.[footnote 73]

342. All parts of the EIF apply to maintained nursery schools and to early years provision in mainstream schools. However, as with all provision, maintained nursery schools have some specific factors that should be taken into account. Inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

how well leaders identify children's early starting points, particularly those children with SEND

how well leaders develop and adapt the early years foundation stage ( EYFS) curriculum so that it is coherently sequenced to meet all children's needs and starting points

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals/specialist services in deciding how best to support children

whether leaders are ambitious for all children and consider their cultural capital when preparing them for the next stage in their education

how well leaders include disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND in all aspects of school life

how well children's learning and development are shared with parents as required by the EYFS, and the extent to which parents are supported to help their child to learn

the extent to which staff use the 7 areas of learning to introduce children to new ideas, vocabulary and syntax, and to develop children's love of stories, poems, songs and rhymes

relevant findings from any inspection of the local area's arrangements for identifying, assessing and meeting the needs of young children with SEND (LA SEND inspection)

343. Inspectors will use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a child in the provision.

344. Inspectors will spend most of the inspection time gathering first-hand evidence by observing the quality of the daily routines and activities of children and staff. Inspectors will also discuss children's development with staff. Much of this will be through incidental conversations prompted by observing the children at play and the interactions between them and adults.

345. The choice of teaching methods is a decision for providers. The inspector will judge the quality of the provision in relation to the impact it has on children's learning, development and well-being.

Applying the EIF in junior, middle and studio schools, and university technical colleges

346. There are some schools that start and stop at non-standard ages for pupils, so we take into account national expectations differently.

347. Pupils at junior schools, on average, have higher attainment scores at the end of key stage 2 than pupils at all other primary schools. However, on average, they also have lower progress scores. This may be for a variety of reasons, and inspectors will take this into account when comparing their results with those of pupils in schools that start education from the beginning of key stage 1.

348. Pupils at middle schools, on average, have lower progress scores at the end of key stage 2 than pupils at primary schools. Due to the age range of pupils at middle schools, pupils will have only attended a middle school for a short time before they take their key stage 2 tests and will still have a number of years left at the school. Inspectors will take this into account when comparing pupils' results to those of schools that start educating their pupils from the beginning of key stage 1.

349. The government's ambition for all mainstream secondary schools is for 75% of pupils nationally to be entered for the EBacc by 2022. However, this ambition specifically does not apply to university technical colleges (UTCs) and studio schools because they provide a specialist technical and professional education.

350. The progress 8 accountability measure is not the most appropriate performance indicator for UTCs and studio schools. These establishments typically start educating pupils at age 14 and have a focus on preparing pupils for their future careers. Inspectors will pay attention to other measures, particularly pupils' destinations when they leave the UTC or studio school.

351. In common with all inspections covered by this handbook, when inspectors are evaluating these types of school on either a section 5 or a section 8 inspection, they will not look at non-statutory internal progress and attainment data. Inspectors will be interested in the conclusions drawn and actions taken from any internal assessment information, but they will not examine or verify that information first hand. Inspectors will still use published national performance data as a starting point on inspection. Inspectors will be particularly aware of, and sensitive to, the issues and caveats relating to using nationally published progress data in these types of schools.

Applying the EIF in special schools and in mainstream schools' provision for pupils with SEND

352. Pupils with SEND have a range of different needs and starting points. Some pupils have severe, complex or profound needs that have a significant impact on their cognitive development, especially the way that they are able to make alterations to their long-term memory. Other pupils have starting points at least as high as other pupils of their age, for instance some pupils with sensory impairments.

353. All parts of the EIF apply to state-funded and non-maintained special schools provision and to mainstream schools' provision for pupils with SEND in. However, as with all provision, SEND provision has some specific factors that should be taken into account. Inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

whether leaders are ambitious for all pupils with SEND

how well leaders identify, assess and meet the needs of pupils with SEND, including when pupils with SEND are self-isolating and/or receiving remote education

how well leaders develop and adapt the curriculum so that it is coherently sequenced to all pupils' needs, starting points and aspirations for the future

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals/specialist services in deciding how best to support pupils with SEND, including agreeing the approach to remote education

how well leaders include pupils with SEND in all aspects of school life

how well the school assesses learning and development of pupils with SEND, and whether pupils' outcomes are improving as a result of the different or additional provision being made for them, including any reasonable adjustments in remote education provision. This covers outcomes in:

communication and interaction

cognition and learning

physical health and development

social, emotional and mental health

354. Because of the often vastly different types of pupils' needs, inspectors will not compare the outcomes achieved by pupils with SEND with those achieved by other pupils with SEND in the school, locally or nationally.

355. Pupils with SEND often have significant and complex vulnerabilities and can face additional safeguarding challenges. Inspectors will evaluate the ways in which leaders have made appropriate and effective safeguarding arrangements that reflect these additional vulnerabilities, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

356. The government's ambition for all secondary schools is for 75% of pupils to be entered for the EBacc by 2021. This ambition does not apply to special schools with secondary-age pupils. In addition, the progress 8 accountability measure may not always be the most appropriate performance indicator for these schools.

Applying the EIF in pupil referral units and alternative provision in free schools and academies

357. All parts of the EIF apply to PRUs and other alternative provision in free schools and academies. However, in the same way that all school contexts are different, so are PRU and other alternative providers. Inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

how well leaders identify, assess and meet the needs of pupils when they first begin to attend the PRU or other alternative provider, including pupils with SEND

how well leaders develop and adapt the curriculum so it is coherently sequenced and meets all pupils' needs, starting points and aspirations for the future, including through remote education

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals/specialist services in deciding how best to support pupils

whether leaders are ambitious for all pupils, and the extent to which those responsible for governance understand the particular context of the provision

how well leaders include pupils in all aspects of school life, giving particular emphasis to how well they are prepared for their next steps in education, employment and training, and adult lives

how well schools assess pupils' learning and development, and whether pupils' outcomes are improving as a result of the different or additional provision being made for them, including outcomes for pupils with SEND

358. Pupils in PRUs and other alternative providers often have significant, complex vulnerabilities. In the same way as with other schools, inspectors will evaluate the ways in which leaders have made appropriate and effective safeguarding arrangements for pupils in the light of their higher vulnerability to safeguarding risks, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

359. If pupils in PRUs and other alternative providers attend off-site alternative provision, inspectors will evaluate the extent to which these placements are safe and effective in promoting pupils' progress. Inspectors must visit a sample of the alternative providers used.

360. PRUs and other alternative providers may have different objectives in their work related to the reasons why a pupil is placed in alternative provision, the needs of the pupil, the duration of placements and the proportion of time that pupils stay with the provider each week. For instance, in a PRU that provides short-term placements for excluded pupils or those at risk of exclusion, the core work may emphasise specific improvements in pupils' attitudes, behaviour and/or attendance alongside their academic/vocational/technical achievement or be aiming to reintegrate pupils into mainstream schools. Alternative providers may also offer services to schools and other educational settings to help them support children with additional needs in their settings. An alternative provision setting may be the permanent destination for some pupils. Inspectors will evaluate schools' success in these areas, while bearing in mind that we expect high academic/vocational/technical aspirations for all pupils.

361. Inspectors will take the school's official records as a starting point for discussions about attendance. They must evaluate pupils' attendance as a percentage of a full-time timetable, even when temporary part-time arrangements are in place. Leaders may have a range of ways of evaluating pupils' attendance, given that pupils often join and leave the school roll at various times of the year. Inspectors will take into account the turnover of pupils in the provision when considering evidence for attitudes and behaviour.

362. Often, pupils attending PRUs and other alternative providers have had poor attendance in the past. Inspectors will evaluate the improvement in pupils' attendance from their starting points when this is relevant. Inspectors will also evaluate the ways in which leaders take account of pupils' weak attendance in their safeguarding systems and the clarity of their attendance recording. If schools use part-time timetables, and pupils are not attending other provision or placements in addition, inspectors will evaluate the extent to which they are well monitored, aspirational and effective in getting pupils into the education full time, quickly and in line with DfE guidance. These timetables should not be open-ended and should result in swift full-time education for the pupils.

363. Transitions into PRU and alternative providers are often complex, involving dual registration, periods of non-attendance and meetings with a range of services and families. When evaluating pupils' attainment and progress, inspectors will consider the ways in which leaders have identified, assessed and met the needs of pupils. They will evaluate the progress that pupils have made since they began to attend the alternative provision. For pupils have left the PRU or other alternative provider, inspectors will consider how well the progress they made there enabled them to move on to suitable destinations and, post-16, to take courses at an appropriately demanding level. They will also look closely at how effective liaison is with other schools to ensure that there are appropriately high expectations, and as far as reasonably possible, continuity in pupils' education programmes. Inspectors will also look at whether the provider works closely with families, schools and other agencies to ensure a smooth transition to and from alternative provision. They will look at whether it sets expectations that reintegration back into mainstream education is a key component of a placement. Inspectors will look at whether the provider has adapted the approach to securing a good transition for every pupil in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Applying the EIF when evaluating the quality of boarding and residential provision in schools

364. When the full inspection of a school's education provision and the full residential inspection are both due at the same time, we usually combine them into one inspection of the whole school. These are integrated inspections and are carried out by one team, leading to one published report.

365. Integrated inspections take place:

366. In integrated inspections, lead inspectors will consider the timing of team meetings so that the social care regulatory inspector is available to join them. It is important that the findings of the social care regulatory inspector contribute to judgements about the school.

367. Inspectors must work closely together to plan sufficient time to discuss their findings throughout the inspection. The lead education inspector will join the social care regulatory inspector on some inspection activities so that they can gain a full picture of provision at the school. This is particularly important in assessing personal development, behaviour and attitudes and the strength of the links between the day school and boarding provision.

368. The inspection of education in a school that is also registered as a children's home may take place as a stand-alone inspection of the education provision or be aligned with the full inspection of the children's home.[footnote 75] When possible, we will attempt to align both inspections so that inspectors may work together and share evidence.

369. When the education inspection takes place as a stand-alone event, inspectors must read the most recent education and children's home reports on the preparation day. They must make themselves aware of any current issues concerning children's welfare that may affect aspects of the school inspection and ensure that they take these into consideration during the inspection.

370. When the education and children's homes inspections are aligned, the education and social care regulatory inspectors will work together to share evidence.

371. If the school provides boarding or residential provision, inspectors will make the 3 key judgements on that provision. These judgements are made in accordance with the guidance and grade descriptors in the 'Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): boarding schools and residential special schools'.

372. If the provision does not meet one or more of the national minimum standards, this will be set out in the inspection report.

373. Inspectors must consider the impact of the judgements on the boarding/residential provision on the judgements for the whole school. In order to do this, they will need to take account of the proportion of boarders/residential pupils in the school and the seriousness of the issues found.

374. For the effectiveness of leadership and management, the grades for the school and boarding should either be the same as, or within one grade of, each other. The report will clearly state the reasons for any differences.

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1. This handbook describes the main activities carried out during inspections of maintained schools and academies in England under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. It sets out the evaluation criteria that inspectors use to make their judgements and on which they report. 2.

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Some notes about assessment and the revised EYFS

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Some notes about assessment and the revised EYFS

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Some strategies to support conversations

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Some strategies to support conversations

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How does your learning environment support your pedagogy & curriculum? (See also Welcome to ELIZABETH JARMAN® - Elizabeth Jarman®)

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Elizabeth Jarman looks at the impact of the physical learning environment on young children's speaking and listening skills.

Introduction

Despite a huge number of curriculum initiatives over the past decade, by and large, learning spaces have remained the same and a rethink of how practitioners arrange spaces is long overdue. Yet, for many practitioners, 'their environment is still a blind spot: unchanging, unchangeable and beyond their control - an obstacle that they must work around, rather than a tool to support and enhance their practice' (Design Council, 2005). Last year, the Basic Skills Agency commissioned a review of how the physical environment could impact specifically on young children's speaking and listening skills. The recently published Communication Friendly Spaces Toolkit is the result. This involved a substantial review of international research and practice and visits to many settings across England and Wales. The following key considerations which were identified as contributing to Communication Friendly Spaces (CFS):

The learning environment should support the educational pedagogy of the setting.

Practitioners should maximize the use of space in all areas, inside and out.

Spaces should take account of the physical environmental factors that can impact on learning, for example, light, color and noise.

The environment should not be over stimulating.

Spaces should be viewed from the child's perspective.

The learning environment should support the educational pedagogy of the setting

A central consideration for practitioners is being clear about how the learning environment and their underpinning pedagogy connect and support one another. The way that a space is set out says a lot to children about the sort of behaviors and interactions that are welcome. 'What we are talking about here fundamentally shifts our traditional thinking in terms of how and why we present certain resources, furnish and layout our space. It may be that a rethink is in order,' says Constance Tyce, an early years adviser in Norfolk. 'This may be quite a challenge as it could conflict with your current knowledge and thinking.'

Practitioners should maximize the use of space in all areas, inside and out

It is important to view learning spaces as a whole, including both inside and out. Across the space, children need secure spaces to talk where they feel comfortable and relaxed. It is important to think about how an area will be used; what furniture is actually necessary; if you are predetermining what will happen there? It is essential to observe, reflect and then make informed decisions. Spaces should be flexible enough to change to support activities as they develop. 'Start by reviewing one area and then let this be the trigger to influence a review of your whole setting. Each part may be very different and so it should be if you are truly basing your ideas on the children,' suggests education consultant Lesley Staggs.

Environmental factors that can impact on learning:

Noise Research concludes that chronic noise exposure in young children has a detrimental effect on children's language development. An extreme illustration from teachers working near Birmingham airport where 90% believed that aircraft noise had a negative impact on children's literacy and numeracy skills. Whatever the source of noise, though, an excessively noisy learning environment is a poor one. Light Current research confirms that we are all energized by natural sunlight and indeed that children learn faster in classrooms with natural light. This also flags up the importance of maximizing the spaces you have outside. In an American study, students with lots of daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster in maths and 26% faster in reading in one year than those with the least. 'Light levels stimulate brain activity in different ways and often generate physical reactions, whereas colors impact on human emotions and undoubtedly have spatial effects in rooms. When light levels and colors are wrong for students, they will switch off and lose concentration.' (Prashnig, 2004.) Color Research indicates that when deciding which colors you should use in a learning space it is really important to consider the purpose of the space. Colors need to be chosen carefully and with consideration of the layout or the room, position of windows and sun-exposure. Colors are commonly associated with 'psychological temperature' ie the physical and emotional reaction that we have to the colors around us. The following basic guidelines date back to the '60s when Dr Max Luscher created his color test:

Color Response

Blue - Feels tranquil, cool, serene Green - Makes people feel secure and 'tended', persistent and self-centered; can be dull Red - Increases respiratory rates, stimulates eating, can increase blood pressure, feels exciting and invites impulsiveness: over-exposure can result in agitation Yellow - Recognized by humans faster than any other color, evokes spontaneity, is joyful, optimistic, warm and signifies communication! Orange - Dominant, lively: peachy orange is warm, bright orange is non-relaxing Violet - Can be overpowering, pastels are better for backgrounds

The environment should not be over stimulating

The advantages of an ordered learning space are obvious. Children can select what they need from the resources available and are not overwhelmed by a mass of hoarded, possible outdated and irrelevant materials that just take up space. It is not about restricting choice, but targeting influence. 'Make sure that children have access to interesting resources, so that they can make choices about how they wish to represent their ideas, but select these resources carefully and think about how best to present them, as clutter and poorly presented materials can be confusing, can deflect concentration and lack any sort of appeal.' (Sally Jaeckle, Early Years Foundation Stage Team, DfES.) Think carefully about storage options. Children do not need to see all of the resources all the time, but they do need access to specific resources when needed. Large storage boxes quickly become full of small pieces which eventually become separated. Perhaps use smaller, transparent, labelled storage. Despite the value of well-planned displays, many are overly stimulating and highly decorative, not always linked to or supporting children's learning in an interactive way. Consider who and what the displays are for. Think carefully about their positioning. It makes sense not to have a busy, cluttered display in an area where children are expected to focus say on a whiteboard, or a story book.

Spaces should be viewed from the child's perspective

'The way in which practitioners approach their environment reflects what they understand about how children learn and this is where much more thought and consideration is needed... All too often, the environment is planned by adults for adults, yet we know that the space belongs to and is for the children,' says Lesley Staggs. 'This routine error can lead to a crucial lack of focus and confidence regarding what is right for children.'

Inspiring a review of practice

Alongside the Communication Friendly Spaces Toolkit, a range of CFS training and development programs have been developed, which aim to raise awareness and understanding of the approach and inspire a review of learning environments in settings. Training is being delivered to Early Years Foundation Stage practitioners in several local authorities to support the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Communicating Matters training. Training is interactive and includes lots of examples of good practice as well as discussion activities to help practitioners consider how this approach applies to their context. Some programs include supported development tasks, which are completed by delegates in the time between training sessions.

Changing Spaces Challenge

The Changing Spaces Challenge, involves seven children's centers in Plymouth which have had input from Elizabeth Jarman on using the Communication Friendly Spaces Toolkit. The children's centers will have opportunities to share with other providers how they have risen to the challenge to change a space to promote children's speaking and listening skills, with only £100 to spend from the LA. All Early Years Foundation Stage settings and schools across Plymouth will be receiving a Communication Friendly Spaces Toolkit. Lark children's center: 'We have done a lot of consultation with the children. They have drawn some pictures and we have recorded and documented their dialogue on what they would like in the area. We have also taken photos of the kinds of places that our children like to spend time. We plan to attach drapes to the ceiling in the area. We have found some lights that are battery operated. We will also add a few drawstring bags that we can put some drapes and pegs in so that the children can change and adapt the area when they want to'. Lark found that the size of the spaces they created is significant and that some children prefer having really small spaces big enough for one or two children. They have responded by using screens and adding an enclosed swing to create these sorts of spaces. Nomony children's center is building a low-level pergola in their outside space, which can be covered with a range of materials to provide an area for children to talk and play. Enclosed spaces are important for children to withdraw to. Having a range of materials to use within the pergola will help to prevent it becoming 'part of the furniture', always a challenge with a fixed structure.

Fourwoods children's center is planning to create a sensory space by using lots of natural materials. Their concrete outside area is very small. Adding as many natural materials as possible will soften the space and add points of interest to help to stimulate conversations.

Useful related reading

Design Council Learning environments campaign prospectus 2005

Prashnig, Barabara (2004) 'Colour me beautiful', Education Today, issue 6

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Communication Friendly Spaces - Early Years - Teaching Expertise

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Elizabeth Jarman looks at the impact of the physical learning environment on young children's speaking and listening skills. Despite a huge number of curriculum initiatives over the past decade, by and large, learning spaces have remained the same and a rethink of how practitioners arrange spaces is long overdue.

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'Interacting or interfering' by Julie Fisher

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'Interacting or interfering' by Julie Fisher

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If you are working with children from six months to six years this book from Julie Fisher encourages you to reflect deeply on the quality and impact of interactions in your setting.

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Good practice in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Supporting communication and language at home

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Supporting communication and language at home

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NOA School Readiness Activity Videos (in collaboration with the Library Service and Family Learning). Top 10 free/low cost activities to support Communication and Language at home.

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NOA School Readiness Communication and Language

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Oral Language: the foundation of literacy

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Oral Language: the foundation of literacy

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In the history of human development, oral language—conversation, poetry, story-telling, and song—arose long before written language. In children we see the same pattern of language development. Children first learn to listen, to speak, to sing, to enjoy rhymes, stories, and books before they can read or write. What we often forget is that this foundation in oral language is a critical step in developing literacy. Joan Almon

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In the history of human development, oral language - conversation, poetry, story-telling, and song - arose long before written language. In children we see the same pattern of language development. Children first learn to listen, to speak, to sing, to enjoy rhymes, stories, and books before they can read or write. What we often forget is that this foundation in oral language is a critical step in developing literacy.

Professor Barry Sanders, well known for his book, A Is for Ox - a title which refers to the Phoenician system of using pictures for sounds - describes eloquently the importance of the oral language development. In summary, he says: "A person's success in orality determines whether he or she will 'take' to literacy."

Given this importance of developing good oral language, how can parents, teachers, and caregivers support a child's success in developing it?

One of the key times when children develop language is during their free play. In play children make use of everything they know. As psychologist Lev Vygotsky expressed so beautifully, children "stand a head taller" when they are at play. This includes their use of language. In play they feel free to try out new words and ways of speaking. Sarah Smilansky, a noted researcher of children's play, compared kindergarten children who were strong in socio-dramatic play with those who were weaker in it. The stronger ones showed stronger abilities in speaking as well as in understanding others.

Fortunately, children are highly motivated to learn language from a young age. There are various theories about how they learn language, but anyone working with children sees clearly that most children are strongly attuned to language and devour it eagerly. When that's not the case, there is often cause for concern. This does not mean that all children begin saying "Mama" by age one, or speak two word sentences by two and more complex ones by three. My own mother often commented that I said very little until I was three. When she asked the paediatrician about this he remarked that he was confident I would soon begin speaking and never stop. According to my mother, that is just what happened!

Infants and toddlers are deeply interested in language. Most parents instinctively understand this and surround their infants with warm, loving language. Often called motherese or parentese, language directed to infants and toddlers tends to be higher pitched, more musical, and slower than language addressed to older children or adults. It doesn't need to be exaggerated and made ultra-sweet as it sometimes is, but musical enough for infants to bask in its warmth. It's related to the whole field of lullabies and nursery rhymes which infants and toddlers also love.

Recent research affirms the importance of nursery rhymes for young children, finding that they contribute to phonemic awareness - the recognition of sounds and the breakdown of language into sound units or syllables. Such awareness is an important component of learning to write and read. Even before they can speak, young children indicate their attunement to nursery rhymes. I recall doing "This little piggy went to market" with a neighbour's nine-month-old. She was in her stroller with bare feet on a hot summer's day. As soon as I finished she lifted her foot with a clear message: Do it again. I did it several times before she was satisfied. I've had similar experiences with many children who were not yet speaking clear words but were intrigued by the rhymes, rhythm, and gestures of nursery rhymes.

The oft-cited research of Risley and Hart found that, by age three, children in low-income homes heard 30 million words less than children from more affluent homes. This is a lag that needs to be addressed. Exposure to good oral language - conversation, rhymes, songs, and stories - helps a great deal. For additional suggestions on how to overcome the word gap, see NAEYC's The Word Gap: The early years make the difference.

As a preschool/kindergarten teacher I focused on oral language at different times throughout the morning. I did not like to drown children in words but at snack and meal times I might tell a little story from my life and the children responded with stories of their family, pets, trips, and the like. We learned how to engage in the art of conversation, and this meant listening to each other as well as speaking.

We used rhymes and songs in transition times to weave the parts of our day together. Some rhymes were said each day at the beginning of circle time. These varied over time so that the children learned many in the course of the year. They were a wonderful way to gather the children's attention for the seasonal circles that followed. Sometimes we acted the nursery rhymes out as in "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candle stick." The children formed a line and merrily took turns jumping over the candle stick at the right moment.

Sometimes I heard children discussing a nursery rhyme, as we might discuss a piece of literature. On one memorable day, four-year-old Adam spoke to a friend about Humpty Dumpty. "I don't think Humpty Dumpty fell," said Adam. "You don't?" replied his friend, in a tone implying a great heresy had been spoken. "No, I think he jumped!" Adam was certainly a child who jumped into life, undaunted by the many difficulties he faced. He was not an easy child to work with but one I treasured for his fierce spirit.

Fairy tales were also a regular part of our school day. Just as one wants teens to have a solid background in the world's great literature, I wanted my young children to be well versed in the tales that have been part of children's culture for centuries. Great stories enrich feelings, stimulate the imagination, and help shape our outlook in life. For young children fairy tales affirm that, yes, there are difficulties in life but we have the courage, strength, and steadfastness to meet them. And while our strength alone may not be enough, there are wonderful beings who come to our aid - kindly dwarves and animals, wise old men and women, and children themselves. The world of fairy tales is full of wonderful beings as well as evil ones. They strengthen the child's inner confidence that while terrible things sometimes happen, life is nevertheless good.

Today's children are heavily immersed in the characters of television and other screens. Whether they derive the same nourishment from them - or merely experience their captivating entertainment - remains to be seen, but I am sceptical. I have never seen any modern programming that rivals the depth and richness of fairy tales, told simply and well, which children absorb deeply.

I generally taught mixed age classes of three to six-year-olds and enjoyed the different responses of the age groups to fairy tales. The preschoolers usually sat with mouths open and their little feet might shuffle on the rug. One felt them drinking the stories in, all the way to their toes, much like an infant drinks its mother's milk and wiggles its toes. Oh, those stories tasted so good!

The kindergarten children listen with mouths closed and one can practically see the images of the stories flit across their minds' eye. The door to image making - imagination - has opened for them and they can see the stories. Many go home and tell the stories after hearing them a few times.

For preschoolers, the difficulties of the tales are mild as in the Billy Goats Gruff, Goldilocks, or the Gingerbread Man. In such tales there is a repeating sequence of events and the rhythm of the story helps capture the children's attention. There are tales in which creatures come to live together as in The Mitten, and there are tales in which the abundance of life overcomes poverty as in Sweet Porridge. I remember telling this tale to a group of children who were homeless. They sat up at attention at the line, "One day there was no food left in the house to eat." They knew this situation intimately and seemed especially satisfied by the little pot that always filled itself with sweet porridge "as if it wanted to feed the whole world."

Kindergarten children are ready for stronger tales in which some evil rears its head but courage and goodness are victorious. Little Red Riding Hood is a good example, but there is no need to dramatise it. The wolf is scary enough as it is for young children, and the line, "And then he swallowed the Grandmother whole" can be said in a calm and quiet way. This age group loves Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Prince, Hansel and Gretel, and dozens of others drawn from cultures around the world.

In my mixed-age classes I varied the tales, telling a simple tale repeatedly for about a week and the more complex stories for two weeks. The older children saw the humour in the little tales and were not bored by them, and the young children drank in what they could from the more complex tales, content in the presence of their older classmates who absorbed the stories deeply.

There is yet another level of complexity and strength of evil in tales that are better saved for first grade such as the Norwegian tale, East of the Sun and West of the Moon. For some years I volunteered at an inner city school and did painting and story telling with the first graders once a week. One day the teacher told me she had had a parent evening and the parents wanted to know what happened on Mondays. Their children came home from school, gathered up their siblings and cousins, sat them down and said, "Now I'm going to tell you a quiet story." They would then tell the fairy tale they had heard that day.

I was deeply impressed, for fairy tale language is complex and the stories I told were not simple. Yet these first graders from very low income families were repeating the tales after a single hearing. What a wonderful way to overcome the language gap and develop oral language skills, and at the same time be strengthened by tales with great meaning.

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In the history of human development, oral language - conversation, poetry, story-telling, and song - arose long before written language. In children we see the same pattern of language development. Children first learn to listen, to speak, to sing, to enjoy rhymes, stories, and books before they can read or write.

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Every child a talker [ECAT] Practitioner Guidance

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Every child a talker [ECAT] Practitioner Guidance

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Materials designed to support your development as a practitioner and develop high quality language provision in your setting

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Free Online Communication Champion Training (designed by ICAN/The Communication Trust) 

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Free Online Communication Champion Training (designed by ICAN/The Communication Trust) 

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Practitioners can complete both the Core and Leadership/Intermediate modules at their own pace.

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These mini coaching sessions are designed to help you take action to implement what you have learnt, either in the core set of modules or in the intermediate set of modules.

You should attend these sessions only if you have completed at least one module in the block of training modules you plan to complete.

The online sessions are available on a first come first served basis on dates before the end of the term. The sessions will last 90 minutes.

Click the link below to book your place on one of these follow up sessions.
Thursday 9th July for the training core Tuesday 18th August for the training intermediate
Places are limited to 15 people per session, so please be sure to book now, and to notify the event organiser if you are later unable to attend so that your place may be allocated to someone on the waiting list. Note that sessions will need a minimum of 7 participants to go ahead.

If you have any trouble booking onto the link, please contact info@ican.org.uk

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These mini coaching sessions are designed to help you take action to implement what you have learnt, either in the core set of modules or in the intermediate set of modules. You should attend these sessions only if you have completed at least one module in the block of training modules you plan to complete.

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Information to understand and support children's speech, language and communication

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. If you're concerned about your child's speech and language development, we can help.

We know that it can be hard to know where to start if you are worried about your child's development. If you think your child is having challenges with talking and understanding words, we are here to help you.

Our free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.

Share your experience

We want to know what life is like for the 1.9 million children and young people who face challenges with talking and understanding words.

Take our survey

Our progress checker will provide short questions you can answer to see how your baby or child is getting on with their talking and understanding of words.

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Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. Access our free resources and learn more about ways to encourage children's speech and language development.

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Elklan website for practitioners that may want to purchase individual or whole setting training – accredited and non-accredited options

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Elklan Training Limited | Elklan Training Limited

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The Hanen approach - 'Helping you help children to communicate'. Resources, articles and training opportunities to help parents and professionals develop communication and social interaction skills of young children, based on research. Useful resources relating to Autism can be found here.

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Featured Article

Light Up Your Child's Brain with Books!

As children head back to school, many parents wonder what they can do to help their child succeed in the classroom. Well, there's one simple activity that can make a huge difference - enjoy books together! Here are some tips for reading with your child that can lay the foundation for language and literacy success.
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Language and Literacy-Building Tips

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Introducing Rare Vocabulary with Mama Built a Little Nest

Helping a child understand less commonly used words will have a big impact on their reading and writing abilities later on. In this Book Nook, we share some helpful strategies to introduce rare words to children and to ensure they really understand them.
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Sign up for The Hanen Newsletter and get the latest articles, biggest news and most helpful tips every month - all chosen especially for you.

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The Hanen Centre | Speech and Language Development for Children

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As children head back to school, many parents wonder what they can do to help their child succeed in the classroom. Well, there's one simple activity that can make a huge difference - enjoy books together! Here are some tips for reading with your child that can lay the foundation for language and literacy success.

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) for Reception aged children

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) for Reception aged children

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The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is a programme for children in Reception (4-5 years) which is designed to improve children’s language and early literacy skills.

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)

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The NELI Programme, provided by OxEd and Assessment, is an integrated programme, for 4-5 year olds, that is proven to improve language and behaviour. The Programme consists of:

LanguageScreen, an assessment to select children for intervention and monitor individual and whole-class progress,

CPD certified training with mentor support,

a 20-week intervention delivered by TAs or teachers. The printed resource pack includes full session plans and materials to make delivery of the intervention as easy as possible.

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Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI)

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The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) is an integrated programme, for 4-5-year-olds, proven to improve language and behaviour.

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Speech, Language & Communication development: Moving into KS1

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Speech, Language & Communication development: Moving into KS1

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As children move onto Key Stage 1, the focus on this essential area of development often lessens. Shifting our focus away from speech, language and communication skills as we begin to focus more on formal learning, literacy, maths and knowledge is a false economy

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The need to understand more about speech, language and communication development and making this a core focus of CPD is frequently discussed within the Early Years. As we move to work in Key Stage 1, the focus on this essential area of development often lessens. Shifting our focus away from speech, language and communication skills as we begin to focus more on formal learning, literacy, maths and knowledge is a false economy.

For all children, there is still a great need for us to understand more about speech, language and communication development. Although, for many children, the basic skills are in place as they leave the EYFS, they still have so much to learn. To name just a few, narrative, negotiation and the language skills surrounding problem solving need to develop way beyond the basic level of skill which will have been established by the age of 5. Non-literal understanding, allowing children to understand and then use humour, sarcasm and metaphors, also develops within this next phase of Education.

Understanding more about the speech, language and communication skills children still need to develop between the ages of 5 and 7, can allow us to think specifically about the opportunities we create for our children. These opportunities could be created within the learning environment, our planning and the games we play. For example, if we are making some play-based learning available to children within our learning environment, we can make more informed decisions about what we add to the environment and how we might evolve the opportunities over time. This is because we have a greater understanding of the correlation between the purpose of the opportunities we make available and the skills we are wanting to facilitate in our children.

Although understanding more about this crucial area of child development has applications for all children aged 5-7, it becomes even more important when a child presents with skill gaps. Many children leaving the EYFS will continue to present with some or all areas of speech, language and communication at an earlier stage of development than would be expected for their age. This is known as delayed development. The more we know, the easier it is to establish which area or areas of a particular child's development are delayed and which are not. Even more essentially, understanding more about the order of speech, language and communication development, allows us to establish what a child can do, moving away from just describing what they cannot. It is from the child's level of success that we must work from as we set next steps and facilitate progression.

Developmental Language Disorder can be easily missed within the EYFS and it is often between the ages of 5 and 7 that children with disordered patterns of language development begin to stand out a bit more. As the other children's higher-level skills develop, especially with social communication, inference, prediction and non-literal understanding, it becomes apparent that these skills are not as automatic for some children. It is essential that, if we work in this age bracket, we know more about this so that we can spot Developmental Language Disorder and not confuse a child's issues with behaviour, lack of listening or rudeness. As our expectations with reading comprehension, problem solving and creative writing rise quite quickly and significantly, it is essential that we understand the impact that disordered patterns of development may have. Understanding pragmatic development/social communication is essential if we want to know how to support a child who is not mixing with or struggling to socially engage with the other children. Pragmatic issues are often the core root issue, with many children struggling with Personal, Social and Emotional Learning.

Understanding more about speech, language and communication development links in very strongly with Ofsted's agenda with, as they term it, 'The lowest 20%.' It becomes very difficult to decide and talk about what this group of children need if we do not understand more about child development and what the barriers to learning and progression are for this group of individuals. Building a Skill Profile for children who are causing us concern and who need and deserve a little more thought is often the best place to start. From this point, we can then think about what each child needs and decide how we might achieve that.

At this point, our thoughts often turn to interventions alongside some Quality First Teaching Strategies. More often than not though, we will reach for isolated Intervention Programmes or follow a pattern of giving these children more of that same, but simply in smaller groups.

Although there is nothing intrinsically wrong with Intervention Programmes, it is essential that we understand what the gaps are that need closing. Otherwise, we are trying to fix a problem that we haven't understood ourselves. We also need to think about what we do outside of that Intervention Programme. How can we support closing the gap within our interactions, within the opportunities we create within our learning environment, etc?

Understanding more can also help us to understand that more of the same, is not always the best way to ensure progression. For example, visual discrimination issues will impact on a child's ability to retain graphemes, especially similar, confusable ones or to move on to di- and trigraphs. Issues with sequential auditory memory are often the root cause of children not being able to blend. Although a strong and consistent SSP is crucial, we will be much more effective if, alongside, we identify and tackle these barriers rather than ignoring them. Not only is this more likely to facilitate progression, but it is also a fairer and more empowering approach to take when children are finding things tricky, no matter how many times you repeat the same thing.

Issues with auditory memory and sequential auditory memory may also be the hidden reasons why a child can't hold a sentence, remember what to do when they get to the table, struggle with problem solving and reading comprehension. Issues with semantic development/vocabulary skills may also be the hidden reason why certain children struggle with inference, prediction, generating ideas of things to write about and why they still tend to take everything that is said or read literally. Understanding more about the links between these core skills and the things we are trying to teach and ensure progression with can make things a lot less frustrating when a child can't do something. Most importantly, it allows us to understand why this might be the case and what we need to do about it.

Knowing more about the specific nature of different children's skill gaps and the incremental skills that need to be facilitated to close the gaps, will allow us to think about the exact Quality First Teaching Strategies we need to put in place for different children. It also allows us to begin to embed interventions into our interactions, our planning, the learning environment and the speaking & listening games we choose to play. This means that 'interventions' become more frequent, are less labour intensive, more sustainable and are woven into what the child is learning and communicating about already. Often, we turn to isolated Intervention Programmes as they seem easier, particularly when we don't have the knowledge or confidence to embed our own.

Understanding more about speech, language and communication development can also really support us when we need to work with Outside Agencies. Deciding which children need referring elsewhere is greatly supported the more we know. The extent of the mismatch between a child's stage of development and their age, along with disordered patterns of development would be the main factors that would indicate that a referral might be needed. Understanding more about this area of development also allows us to avoid over referring as we begin to feel more confident about these decisions and being able to set next steps for children ourselves.

Multidisciplinary working also becomes more two-way, the more we understand about speech, language and communication development. It allows our referrals and reports to contain more specific detail and offers clarity to our thoughts about what a child can do well and what they find more difficult. A greater level of knowledge also allows us to interpret reports from Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, etc. Most fundamentally, it allows us to understand what their assessment findings mean to a child's learning and what we need to put in place for that child.

To find out more about Launchpad for Literacy, visit the website.

All our primary articles have been moved to Tapestry.info. You can read them and lots of other articles there.

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Speech, Language and Communication Development in Key Stage 1

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The need to understand more about speech, language and communication development and making this a core focus of CPD is frequently discussed within the Early Years. As we move to work in Key Stage 1, the focus on this essential area of development often lessens. Shifting our focus away from speec...

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A speech & language toolkit from screening to intervention

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Delayed language skills lead to under-performance later in life, yet many primary school children have unidentified speech and language difficulties. WellComm can help you to turn this around.
Both the Early Years and the Primary toolkits enable you to quickly and easily identify children needing support. They're quick and simple to use (requiring no speech and language expertise), and the traffic light scoring format of the instant reports makes them quick to interpret.

Both toolkits come with an age-appropriate Big Book of Ideas providing a total of over 150 instant, play-based activities so you can take appropriate action straight away. Activities can be used with parents at home too, so that support is provided whether or not a child is referred to a speech and language therapist

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Both the Early Years and the Primary toolkits enable you to quickly and easily identify children needing support.

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Children develop language at different rates. However, understanding what is typical can help you identify speech and language problems early.  You can also find out how to help your child learn to talk and develop their communication skills.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Our guide to the typical stages of speech and language development in babies, children and young people.

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Early Support: Information about speech, language and communication needs for children with SEND

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Early Support: Information about speech, language and communication needs for children with SEND

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Early Support is a way of working, underpinned by 10 principles that aim to improve the delivery of services for disabled children, young people and their families. It enables services to coordinate their activity better and provide families with a single point of contact and continuity through key working.

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Mathematically, the areas of shape and space are about developing visualising skills and understanding relationships, such as the effects of movement and combining shapes together, rather than just knowing vocabulary. Spatial skills are important for understanding other areas of maths and children need structured experiences to ensure they develop these. Here, the focus is on actively exploring spatial relations and the properties of shapes, in order to develop mathematical thinking (rather than on shape classification, which requires prior knowledge of properties). This section is concerned with developing the two aspects of spatial awareness and shape awareness, with some progression identified within each.

Children need opportunities to move both themselves and objects around, so they see things from different perspectives. This will support them in visualising how things will appear when turned around and imagining how things might fit together.

They need to make constructions, patterns and pictures, and select shapes which will fit when rotated or flipped in insert boards, shape sorters and jigsaws. These experiences will support them in noticing the results of rotating and reflecting images, and in visualising these.

Activities and opportunities:

riding trikes around interesting routes

construction activities

printing and making pictures and patterns with shapes

posting boxes

jigsaws

making a complete circuit with a train track

directing a simple robot or remote-controlled toy vehicle along a route

tangrams: 'Can you make a person with the shapes?'

with toys in a line: 'Can you say what the teddy on the other side is seeing?'

Children need opportunities to be exposed to and to use the language of position and direction:

position: 'in', 'on', 'under'
direction: 'up', 'down', 'across'.

Children also need opportunities to use terms which are relative to the viewpoint:

'in front of', 'behind', 'forwards',' backward's ('left' and 'right' to be used later on as ideas develop).

Create as many opportunities as possible to explore this language, taking advantage of play in the outdoors to explore sequences of body movements (following obstacle courses, directing a friend, etc.).

Activities and opportunities:

hunting for hidden objects, with some prompts, e.g. 'Look behind the bicycle store, take three steps from the front of the art cupboard...'

developing and talking about small-world scenarios, e.g. doll's house, miniature village, play park

acting out their own versions of well-known stories where characters negotiate routes and obstacles, for example, 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'

directing each other as robots.

Small-world play and model building provide lots of opportunities for children to describe things being 'in front of',' behind', 'on top of' etc., and to consider objects from different perspectives. Drawing representations of these relationships is a further challenge. These drawings may include a simple representation of a three-dimensional object from a different viewpoint. For example, 'can you draw your construction from above, looking down on it?'

Activities and opportunities:

designing a plan for a garden or play area, using a small tray with sand, twigs, building bricks, etc.

drawing or making a simple map of a route with 'landmarks', e.g. houses and trees

follow a simple map of an excursion.

Through play - particularly in construction - children have lots of opportunities to explore shapes, the attributes of particular shapes, and to select shapes to fulfil a particular need. Support this exploration by discussing items built by children in terms of how towers are built and why certain shapes are chosen to make a tower, and the space that has been created within an enclosure. Ask: 'How did you make that tower?', 'Why were those blocks good ones to use?'

Activities and opportunities:

construction with structured and unstructured materials

making dens with varied materials outdoors.

Children need opportunities to construct and create things that represent objects in their environment. As they do this, they should notice shape properties of the object that they want to represent; encourage them to think about the appropriateness of the shapes they choose. Examples of this may include representing a ball as a circle, building a train from wooden rectangular blocks, or using a curved block for the elephant's trunk.

Activities and opportunities:

stories as a prompt for creating representations, e.g. building a house for the three bears

making pictures with found materials as well as structured shapes and blocks.

At this stage, children show increasing intentionality in their selection of shapes, for example using cylinders to represent wheels because they can roll. Draw children's attention to specific properties by using specific language in everyday situations, while children may use informal language. Properties may include:

curvedness

numbers of sides and corners (2D) or edges, faces and vertices (3D)

equal sides

parallel sides

angle size, including right angles

2D shapes as faces of 3D shapes.

In play, children show that they are utilising this knowledge by gathering specific items that are needed for their construction, e.g. making a bed for a teddy and gathering blocks of equal length to make the rectangle; taking time with constructing corners so the shapes fit together to make a right angle.

Activities and opportunities:

making an insect hotel - selecting tube-like shapes from a collection of varied materials, some not fit for purpose

creating an extended channel for water to flow from a high container to a low one, some distance away

asking questions, for example: 'What shapes can you make with three people inside a loop of string? What about with four people?' 'What is the same and what is different about these?'

making shapes with sticks and with their own bodies

printing with shapes: 'What footprint do you think this cylinder will make? What about if you roll it?'

As children construct, and appear to be utilising, the properties of shapes, informally ask them about their constructions and representations. Children may use comparisons such as 'ball-shaped' or 'house-shaped', or start to discriminate between shapes, e.g. a 'fat' triangle and a 'pointy' triangle, using informal language.

With shapes such as triangles and rectangles, ensure that children are used to seeing a range of examples, and the same shape in different orientations, as well as different sizes, colours and materials.

Activities and opportunities:

covering objects in foil and invite children to justify their guesses about what is inside

making arrangements with a selection of different rectangles, including squares.

As children become more confident with specific shapes, encourage them to spot shapes within shapes. You might talk about small triangles making a bigger triangle or identifying 2D faces of 3D shapes. Pattern blocks are a useful resource, since children can point out the shapes they have used to make their whole pattern:

Also encourage children to predict what will happen when paper is cut or folded, or shapes are combined. Ask: 'What shapes will we see?', 'What will happen if we fold the square in half?', 'What if we put two triangles together?'

Activities and opportunities:

choosing 2D shapes to construct a 3D model, e.g. using triangles and rectangles to make a tent

making decorations by folding and cutting

making 3D shapes using interlocking shapes.

Children think that:

children thinking that only regular triangles are triangles, only brick-like rectangles are rectangles (i.e. shapes are defined by their image, not by their properties)

children thinking that squares are only squares when the bottom is horizontal (i.e. shapes are defined by their orientation).

Can a child:

select and rotate shapes to fit into a given space?

use positional vocabulary, including relative terms, to describe where things are in small-world play?

show intentionality in selecting shapes for a purpose, such as cylinders to roll?

make a range of constructions, including enclosures, and talk about the decisions they have made?

see shapes in different orientations and recognise that they are still that shape?

recognise a range of triangles and say how they know what they are?

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Understanding what happens when shapes move, or combine with other shapes, helps develop wider mathematical thinking

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Article about spatial reasoning and mathematical development

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Article about spatial reasoning and mathematical development

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Early years educators know how many rich, natural mathematical discussions can arise from children's play with tyres, various sized blocks and jigsaws. But this sort of spatial reasoning is also essential for later mathematical development.

Put simply, spatial reasoning is how we understand how things (including ourselves) move and interact in relation to the physical space around them. Children engage spatially all the time, from a baby reaching for a toy to a 6-year-old judging how much paper to cut out to successfully wrap a present. There is an increasing body of research supporting the importance of early spatial reasoning in predicting later and wider mathematical achievement ( Gunderson et al., 2012; Cheng and Mix, 2014; Clements et al., 2015).

In this article, I'll go into more detail on how we support spatial reasoning in the early years, and conclude with ideas of how to integrate the statutory 'Characteristics of Effective Learning and Teaching' (DfE 2017) in our work with young children.

The five core aspects of Spacial Reasoning

To start, I'll go through five core aspects of developing spatial reasoning:

Understanding relationships: - How things fit together, and how moving parts work

Babies love handling (and gnawing on) objects to see how they work, and later on, how they fit together with other objects. As children move through their first year, shape-sorters and simple jigsaw puzzles are a great way to develop core mathematical skills.

High-quality jigsaw-play, from indent puzzles, to those with many pieces, aid spatial development, particularly when an adult is there to talk about the shapes and their positions. This sort of play is especially helpful to do with an adult, who can assist the child by explaining the various shapes and their positions ( Hawes et al., 2017; Schroeter, 2017).

Language: - Hearing, describing, directing position and direction

Hearing and understanding the language associated with shape and space comes first; as children follow directions such as "under" the chair or "on" the table.

Whilst children build, construct and piece together, adults can help by offering the language of spatial reasoning: "Look, here's another straight-edge piece", "This brick is the same shape as that one, isn't it?", "We could turn it around and see if it fits?" "What size do you need now?" This sort of adult questioning, and children's exploratory language is important for children to begin to 'see' objects from different points of view.

Spatial memory: - Remembering where things are

Tasks or games like 'Kim's Game' or 'Pairs' are simple memory exercises, but they help strengthen the groundwork for mathematical memory.

You and your child could play ' Kim's Game ' with a collection of blocks - using blocks that are the same colour but different shapes and sizes will encourage building spatial language. Or, you could find 'Pairs' of the same quantity by placing between 1 to 4 pennies or buttons under (similar) cups. A treasure hunt is another way of working on our spatial memory: Children can take turns to hide toys, and give clues for a partner to find the hidden items.

Sense of direction: - Noticing where you're going, and finding your way back

Many children enjoy drawing their own maps, and tracing directions out on a map. Similar to spatial memory, building a sense of direction is useful for noticing patterns and details out in the world. At home or at your setting, you could construct and map out a landscape of cushions and furnitures, or do the same on a smaller scale, using books and boxes to make a little cityscape.

Spatial representations: - Creating mental images, understanding perspective and movements, reading models and diagrams

This is arguably the most sophisticated element of spatial reasoning, as it combines all the first four skills. Playing with toys and blocks and standing small-world characters in different positions so they can't 'see' one another develops a child's understanding of visualising an object (or collection of objects) from differing viewpoints.

Working through a set of directions for making a Lego model, following a map, and discussing what familiar objects look like from different angles are all beneficial as well.

The 'Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning' in relation to spatial reasoning

These three Characteristics are statutory in the EYFS for the very good reason that they underpin how children learn effectively.

It is essential that, in addition to noticing how children exhibit these Characteristics in their play, that we think about what we say and do as practitioners to support their development in mathematics. This is especially important as we develop mathematical tasks and lessons.

Playing and exploring - Children investigate and experience things, and 'have a go'.

Active learning - Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements.

Creating and thinking critically - Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things.

Up next, I introduce the Characteristics one by one as they appear in the statutory documentation, and underneath, you'll find an explanation of how they relate to mathematics.

After that, we have suggestions for things practitioners can say and do in order to integrate these Characteristics in particular to encourage spatial reasoning.

1. Playing and Exploring
Children investigate and experience things and 'have a go'. How does it relate to mathematics?
Finding out and exploring comes from a child's hands-on experiences and innate curiosity in size, shape, space and pattern and amount.

Being willing to have a go comes from children exploring an interest, having a 'can do' attitude and being willing to take a risk in trying new experiences introduced by others. It is also about beginning to realise that failures are important for learning, in mathematics as in anything.
Contexts and teaching strategies: Practitioner suggestions

Engaging children and encouraging them to choose their own ways to do things - Noticing what children are interested in, and supporting and extending their ideas mathematically; eg filling, containing, lifting weights, fitting together, lining up, measuring, comparing...

Adults modelling by playing alongside with bricks, jigsaws, and pattern blocks, asking: What would you like to try today with these shapes that you like?...What if I only used all the triangles?...I wonder if this pattern would cover the table top?...Let's have a go at making your spaceship with these smaller bricks today.

Adults modelling by making 'silly' suggestions that can be countered and followed up, saying: I think your brick tower will touch the sky! No? how high do you think it will reach and still stand up?

Or by making deliberate mistakes to be corrected, saying: Here is a (square) piece that will fit there (in a round hole).

Giving children the responsibility to solve problems and reach a goal, by encouraging planning and making decisions about how to approach a task, asking: What could/might we do? What will we need? What shall we try (now)?

Or by encouraging children to check how well their activities are going, by reminding them of the problem, asking: What were you trying to do?...I see you have changed the distance you are moving the water from here to here?...Is this bucket going to hold it all, do you think?

And reviewing their progress, changing strategy if necessary, asking: Do we need to start that again?...Did you find a better way of fitting those together?...How did your idea work out lifting all that sand? ...Could we have built that a different way and still reached across the mat?

2. Active learning
Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties, and enjoy achievements. How does it relate to mathematics?
Supporting children to keep on trying in the face of difficulties is as important in mathematics as in anything.

Enjoying achieving what they set out to do means a child recognises when they have met their own goals, rather than relying on the approval of others.
Contexts and teaching strategies: Practitioner suggestions
Adults can support motivation by celebrating processes, for example:

Perseverance and persistence - You are looking very carefully about where to place each shape.

Alternative strategies - So, you cut that out and it's a rectangle and you wanted a square; what will you try to make it square this time?

A range of solutions for problems - What shall we try and build today? How shall we start this time?...If you try that and s/he tries this, we'll see what happens!...Why not give it a try and see what happens?...You are really trying hard to balance that crate - I'm impressed!...
Are you stuck with that jigsaw? That's OK, let's take a look together. ...You can save that and come back to it later.

Adults can also encourage children to reflect upon their results and enjoy achieving what they set out to do:Can you describe what you like about that pattern?...What did you enjoy about building that? What was harder?...What do you think about it now you have finished that jigsaw?

3. Creating and thinking critically
Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas, and develop strategies for doing things. How does it relate to mathematics?
Children generate new ideas and approaches to something mathematical that might have been initiated by an adult.

Children build new mathematical learning on what they might already know, they recognise links and begin to talk about cause and effect..

Children make choices and decisions about how to approach mathematical tasks, planning and monitoring what to do and being able to change strategies where necessary.
Contexts and teaching strategies: Practitioner suggestions
Adults can support children thinking through mathematical ideas by:

Welcoming all different responses, for example with big blocks or boxes asking: What will you make? Will it be...symmetrical?...big enough for you to fit underneath?...How is this the same/ how is it different to this one?

Modeling being puzzled, saying: I don't know. I'm not sure. This is tricky...I wonder how they made that look like that?...I wonder if we could make a similar one?

Making mathematical links, by noticing patterns, making wrong predictions, or making having a new idea, asking: Isn't that game/ pattern a little bit like this game/pattern?...What can we see that is the same about these two?...I thought that would fit there! Why not, I wonder?...I think that looks a bit like this one because...What do you think will happen if we...?

Making predictions and encouraging children to test their ideas, asking: I think you'll need to use all those to fit right across there, what do you think?...Will those clues definitely lead me to your treasure?...Did you think you would need this larger one when you started?

Developing ideas of cause and effect, asking: If you put that there, what will you have to put here, do you think?...What if ... we use this block instead? Then what?...If you can see that from where you are, what can I see from here? What if I move over here?

Why is spatial reasoning so crucial for mathematical development?

In order to help our youngest children get a strong start in mathematics, our early years pedagogy has to foster their intuition, memory, understanding and, most importantly, their continuing confidence.

Without these elements, our children will struggle with later mathematics, which relies on all of these, plus a large degree of creativity, in order to solve problems and reason mathematically. Ensuring we integrate the three 'Characteristics of Effective Learning and Teaching' whilst working on maths is an ideal way to support this.

Nurturing a safe mathematical environment, where mistakes are approached as natural and worth exploring is part of this: ("I thought that would work, as well! Let's have another go..."). Far too often, our mathematics teaching emphasises one 'right answer' obtained with speed, when being able to think mathematically relies on tinkering, pattern spotting and prediction.

Although this may not have been the mathematical environment many of us experienced whilst at school, we can change this for our children by living out our underpinning belief that every child has the potential to succeed mathematically.
Dr Helen J Williams is an independent educational consultant based in Cornwall, who specialises in the learning and teaching of Early Years and KS1 mathematics. She has a special interest in working alongside colleagues developing effective playful curricula opportunities.

References

Cheng Y. and Mix K.S. (2014). Spatial training improves children's mathematics ability. Journal of Cognition and Development 15(1): 2-11

Clements D.H., Germeroth C. and Brittany Sovran B. (2015). The building blocks of mathematics for infants and toddlers: An annotated bibliography for course developers. Early Educator Central. Available at: https://earlyeducatorcentral.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/public/resources/The%20Building%20Blocks%20of%20Mathematics%20for%20Infants%20and%20Toddlers.pdf (accessed 1 April 2020)

Department for Education (2017). Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, setting the standards for learning development and care for children from birth to five. London: Crown. DFE-00169-2017

Gunderson E., Ramirez G., Beilock S.L. (2012). The relation between spatial skill and early number knowledge: The role of the linear number line. Developmental Psychology 48(5): 1229-1241

Hawes Z., Moss J., Caswell B. (2017). Enhancing children's spatial and numerical skills through a dynamic spatial approach to early geometry instruction: Effects of a 32 week intervention. Cognition and Instruction 35(3): 236-264

Piaget, J., Gruber, H. E., and J. J. Vonëche, (1977). The Essential Piaget. New York: Basic Books

Schroeter E. (2017). The importance of spatial reasoning and geometry in Kindergarten. In: The Learning Exchange. Available at: https://thelearningexchange.ca/importance-spatial-reasoning-geometry-kindergarten (accessed 1 April 2020)

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What Is Spatial Reasoning in Early Maths and Why Is It Important?

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Early years educators know how many rich, natural mathematical discussions can arise from children's play with tyres, various sized blocks and jigsaws. But this sort of spatial reasoning is also essential for later mathematical development. Put simply, spatial reasoning is how we understand how things (including ourselves) move and interact in relation to the physical space around them.

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Dominoes:https://earlymathcounts.org/lessons/dynamic-dominoes/
Teaching maths during the pandemic NCTM:https://www.ncetm.org.uk/
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/in-the-classroom/early-years/
EEF:https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/early-maths/

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Help your 4 or 5 year old practice maths at home with everyday maths games and activities. Help your child learn by making maths fun!

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Sue Gifford

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Erikson Institute Early Math Collaborative

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Composing Shapes with Child 12, Exploring Math Challenge Puzzles

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A child composes a 6-pointed star shape using pattern blocks in multiple ways. How satisfying to figure out shape & math challenge puzzles!

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Ideas for encouraging children to draw

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Please note: There is a "Print PDF" button at the bottom of most of our resources which enables you to generate a pdf of the activity. You can use this to send to pupils who don't necessarily have online access. This includes a text version of any videos.

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Please note: There is a "Print PDF" button at the bottom of most of our resources which enables you to generate a pdf of the activity. You can use this to send to pupils who don't necessarily have online access. This includes a text version of any videos.

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The Early Years, Children and Families Programme plays a major part in encouraging learning through art at the National Gallery of Ireland. It is informed by research in the field, working with highly engaging early years and family learning specialists, and has developed through ongoing project evaluation and in dialogue with the core audience. This strand is for all the family, from babies and toddlers to younger teens and their parents/carers.

We embrace play, enquiry, problem solving, independent thinking and collaboration through multi-disciplinary sensory activities responding to the national collection. We programme general activities onsite for everyone from seasoned museum visitors to tourist families on holidays, and offsite through outreach projects for families who have not visited the Gallery before and are less likely to connect with cultural institutions for geographical, social, or financial reasons.

We offer drop-in workshops, tours and activities, all with a family focus. Our Atrium Creative Space is open everyday, and free art packs are available to borrow to support independent creative activity. Our scheduled workshops and events are designed with age-appropriate learning in mind. We are currently developing our existing online strand for Early Years, Children and Families which aims to take learning through art out of the gallery and into the home.
Types of Activities

Family-friendly tours

New parents' tours

Baby workshops

Drop-in family workshops

Seasonal events e.g. mid-term break camps

Workshop series for older children

Special events e.g. Halloween activities, bespoke theatrical and performance events

Creative packs

Resources

Outreach - one-off workshops, series of activities, or long-term projects

Find out more
General children and families queries: contact Joanne Drum T: 01 663 3505 | E: [email protected]

For more info on family drop-in workshops and activities contact Caomhán Mac Con Iomaire

T: 01 663 3507 E: [email protected]

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Early years, children and families programme

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The Early Years, Children and Families Programme plays a major part in encouraging learning through art at the National Gallery of Ireland. It is informed by research in the field, working with highly engaging early years and family learning specialists, and has developed through ongoing project evaluation and in dialogue with the core audience.

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Norfolk Museums working from home materials 

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Norfolk Museums working from home materials 

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Activity links from a piece of art in the collections

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Best Books for Reception | Ages 4-5 Recommended Reads | BooksForTopics

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50 recommended books for children in preschool or nursery. Find the best 50 story books and non-fiction for EYFS children aged 3-4 and top up your classroom library.

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When you see an activity labelled with the 'Understanding the world' icon on CBeebies, it means that it can help your child to develop their understanding of people, places, science or nature.

This learning area can include exploring, investigating, using computers, discovering the living world, people and nature around them, experiencing other cultures and beliefs and thinking about different life events.

Children love to ask "why?" as they begin to work out the reasons for things changing, seasons, weather and animal behaviour. They are working out connections and differences between people and the environment and how they fit into it.

They enjoy finding out about their own family history and how their family celebrates. This encourages their natural sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around us.

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Nina and the Neurons - Understanding the World: learning area

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When you see an activity labelled with the 'Understanding the world' icon on CBeebies, it means that it can help your child to develop their understanding of people, places, science or nature. This learning area can include exploring, investigating, using computers, discovering the living world, people and nature around them, experiencing other cultures and beliefs and thinking about different life events.

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Creative STAR Learning | I'm a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here!

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Since the beginning of the new school year, Mairi Thomson and Mark Irwin, who both work for Education Scotland have been organising and running a series of webinars on a huge range of outdoor themes and subjects. There are more planned for 2021. My intention is to add the videos of the live events to this blog post so that I have them all in the one place.

The collection as a whole is demonstrating the sheer breadth that being outside can offer children, young people, teachers and the wider learning community. I recommend signing up for a live webinar as they tend to be lively with a lot of interactions with the participants. I'm also aware that they may be useful for those of you working in other countries where the national support for being outside may not be in existence or quite weak. Enjoy watching! The first one is presented by Linda Reed, HT at Garnetbank and her school's journey to embedding learning and play outdoors.

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Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to view

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Since the beginning of the new school year, Mairi Thomson and Mark Irwin, who both work for Education Scotland have been organising and running a series of webinars on a huge range of outdoor themes and subjects. There are more planned for 2021.

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Norfolk Early Years outdoor learning blog

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Norfolk Early Years outdoor learning blog

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This is our list of the 100 best books for children from the last 100 years. It is the ultimate booklist to read before you're 14, with books for children 0-5, 6-8, 9-11 and 12-14 years.

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Support material for parents regarding learning to share

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Support material for parents regarding learning to share

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Why sharing is important

Children need to learn to share so they can make and keep friends, play cooperatively, take turns, negotiate and cope with disappointment. Sharing teaches children about compromise and fairness. They learn that if we give a little to others, we can get some of what we want too.

Sharing is a key part of getting along with others, so it becomes more and more important when your child starts having playdates and going to child care, preschool or kindergarten.

Helping children learn about sharing

Children learn a lot from just watching what their parents do. When you model good sharing and turn-taking in your family, it gives your child a great example to follow.

Children also need opportunities to learn about and practise sharing. Here are ways to encourage sharing in everyday life:

Talk about why sharing is good for your child and others. You can say something like, 'When you share your toys with your friend, everyone gets to have fun. You might get to share your friend's toys too.

Point out good sharing in others. For example, 'Your friend was sharing her ball really well. That was very kind of her'.

When you see your child trying to share or take turns, give your child plenty of praise and attention. For example, 'I liked the way you let Aziz have a turn on the swing. Great sharing!'

Play games with your child that involve sharing and turn-taking. Talk your child through the steps, saying things like, 'Now it's my turn to play a card, and then it's your turn' or 'You share the red blocks with me, and I'll share the green blocks with you'.

Talk with your child about sharing before playdates with other children. For example, you could say, 'When Georgia comes over, you'll need to share some of your toys. Why don't we ask her what she wants to play with?' You can also talk with your child about sharing before they start child care or preschool.

Although it's important to share, it's OK for children to have some toys that they keep just for themselves. It's a good idea to put away these special toys when other children come to play at your house. This can help you avoid problems with sharing. It also shows your child that you understand some things are precious to them.

When children find it challenging to share

If your child finds sharing challenging, it's a good idea to stay nearby when your child plays with other children and encourage your child to share. When your child does try to share, you can say exactly what your child did well and how proud you are.

There's no reason to avoid playdates if your child is still learning to share. Instead, use playdates as a chance to help your child practise. You can remind your child at the start of the playdate that sharing is a good thing to do with friends. Then you can help your child and their friend to decide what toys they could share.

For children over 3 years, it can help to create consequences for not sharing.

When you use consequences for not sharing, it's important that the consequences relate to the thing that's being shared - or not shared! For example, if children aren't sharing a toy train, you might tell them you're taking the train away for 30 seconds. This will give them time to calm down and a chance to think about how to share. Then give the train back and let them try again. This gives them another chance to get it right. If they still can't share, you can take it away for longer. Neither child can play with the train, so the consequence feels the same for both of them.

Toddlers: learning to share

Your 2-year-old probably doesn't understand sharing. For example, if another child has something your child really wants, your child might not understand why they have to wait for it.

Also, sharing means children need to be able to manage their emotions, and toddlers are only starting to learn how to do this. So your child might try to take the toy they want or have a tantrum if they can't have it.

Expecting your child to be able to share at this age is probably unrealistic. And consequences for not sharing probably won't help your toddler learn to share. Instead, it's best to guide your child when they need to share. And encouragement and practice will help your child to learn.

Preschoolers: starting to understand sharing

By 3 years, many children are beginning to understand about turn-taking and sharing. For example, your child will probably understand that sharing equally is the 'fair' thing to do, but they still might not want to share if it involves giving up something. Your child might also be impatient when waiting their turn.

You can build your child's sharing skills by watching for and praising good turn-taking, encouraging fairness and explaining about sharing. Activities that involve sharing and taking turns can help - for example, choosing dress-ups together or drawing a big picture together using the same packet of crayons.

If there's trouble, it can help to ask your child how they'd feel if someone took their toy or didn't let them have a turn. Talking to your child about other people's feelings will also help your child understand things from someone else's point of view. It's best to have this conversation when your child is calm.

It's a good idea to be realistic about your child's ability to share. At this age, most children are still learning and can find it hard to understand other people's thoughts and emotions.

School-age children: sharing in tricky situations

By the time most children start school, they're beginning to understand that other people have feelings too. This means they're more likely to share and take turns, although it might still be hard for them to be patient, especially if they're very excited or upset.

School-age children also have a strong sense of fairness and might not want to share a toy or a play a game if they think they won't get a fair go. It might help to check the rules of the games your child is playing and reassure your child and others that they'll all get a turn.

At this age, your child will be much more patient and tolerant than they used to be. Your child will also be keen to do the right thing and can form more complex friendships, which helps with the idea of sharing. Your child can get a lot of practice sharing at school too - for example, sharing paints in art, or playing games together at recess or lunch.

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Learning to share can be a challenge for children, but it's key to getting along with others. Practice, encouragement and sharing games can help kids learn.