10 question topics that are likely to come up for MAT leaders in Ofsted inspections this year

10 question topics that are likely to come up for MAT leaders in Ofsted inspections this year

This September, Ofsted’s new inspection framework came into effect, putting more of an emphasis on curriculum as opposed to just academic results with their new “quality of education” grade. A consistent theme in teachers’ feedback to inspections so far seems to be that Ofsted have become more rigorous; rather than settling for a surface level view, they now want to dig a little deeper into how schools and trust operate and why. 

According to Tes, some leadership and teachers have described these new inspections as intense and stressful, while others say it provides a fairer, more balanced view of how you work. Either way, we can safely say that it definitely wouldn’t hurt to prepare to tackle some tough questions about your MAT. 

To help you prepare, we’ve put together this useful list of questions that you might be asked during an Ofsted inspection this year. Our list is by no means exhaustive, but acts as more of a checklist for you and other MAT leaders to read ahead of any upcoming inspections. 

Questions are based on inspections that other schools have experienced this year. Many of these questions can be credited to governingmatters.wordpress.com who posted this useful article to help governors prepare for Ofsted inspections. 

 

1. MAT structure and values

Ofsted are very likely to ask you at least one question about your MAT’s values and the aims that you have for your pupils. Consider why your trust operates the way that it does and how you think this will help to shape your students’ education overall. 

A. How is your MAT structured and why? 

B. What are your priorities for your schools?

C. What are your ambitions for your children?

 

2. Governors

You’ll be expected to provide some information on your governors, including their training and the role they play. Think about how you can show that your governors are adequately trained and appropriately contributing to how your MAT is run. 

A. How does the MAT board work with Local Governing Bodies?

B. What role do your governors play in school leadership? How do you recruit new governors?

C. What training do your governors receive?

 

3. Headteachers and SLT

Have a think about how often you hold your headteachers and SLT members to account for how their schools are performing. Be sure to have some proof that you can present to Ofsted ahead of your inspection! In Group MIS, it’s easy to check how your different schools are performing by looking at your data dashboards when you first log in to your portal.

A. How do you hold your headteachers and SLT to account?

B. How do you ensure that you are not just relying on information provided by the head? 

C. Can you give an example of how you challenged the head and brought about a change? 

Image 1: A screenshot of the main Dashboard when you log into Arbor Group MIS

4. Staff performance and wellbeing 

Be ready to provide examples of how you handle both positive and negative staff performance, as well as how you make sure the staff across your MAT are well looked after and happy. In Arbor MIS, you can use our Staff Development function to track staff appraisals and training. 

A. How do you ensure staff wellbeing? Can you give any examples?

B. What is the link between teacher appraisal and pay?

C. How is teacher underperformance dealt with in your trust?

5. Measuring progress and school improvement 

Think about how you’ve analysed your KS1 & KS2 performance data so far and whether you’ve effectively pinpointed where your MAT is performing well and where it could be doing better – click here to find out how you can do this using our free Group Insight reports and dashboards.

A. What do your schools do best and what could they do better?

B. How do you contribute to and monitor your school improvement plan?

C. Please describe the MAT’s journey since the last inspection. Have you made an effort to fix issues that were picked up last time?

6. Curriculum planning and tracking 

Ofsted is putting more emphasis on the curriculum than ever before with their new inspection framework. Use Arbor’s curriculum tracker to manage the way you deliver the curriculum across your MAT, and our analytics to inform your methodology. You can also read our helpful blog on curriculum planning and improving student outcomes. 

A. How do you monitor your schools’ curriculum and how do you know it matches the national curriculum?

B. How do your students do in foundation subjects? 

C. How do leaders discuss the sequencing of curriculum development? How do your teachers know what to teach?

7. Education equality 

Consider the provisions you have in place for your disadvantaged pupils and how you make sure they have as many opportunities as their fellow students and that they are treated equally. Remember – you should be able to show how you measure the impact of these provisions! In our Group MIS, you can use our “By Demographic” function to keep track of disadvantaged students and work out where to intervene; you can also use our Interventions tracker to monitor any progress made. 

A. How do you meet the equalities act? How do you know diversity is being taught in your schools?

B. What do you know about the performance of your SEN/EAL/disadvantaged pupils?

C. How do you use Pupil Premium and Sports Premium monies and what impact has this had? How are pupil premium children progressing and what do you have in place to ensure higher attaining Pupil Premium students are challenged?

Image 2: A screenshot of attendance by demographic in Arbor’s Group MIS

8. Data monitoring 

It’s possible that Ofsted will also ask you about the way you monitor and measure the data you receive from schools across your MAT. You need to be prepared for questions about the accuracy of this data; do this by collecting tangible evidence ahead of time. In, you can use our helpful data dashboards to diagnose any potential errors before your inspection. 

A. How do you know that the data you get from your schools is accurate?

B. How do you measure pupil attendance in your schools?

C. How do you monitor pupil behaviour in your schools?

9. Safety and GDPR

We’re pretty confident that you’ll be asked about the level of safety in schools across your MAT. Make sure you have evidence to show that you’re compliant with GDPR regulations and that you have all the necessary procedures in place to keep your students safe. Visit our website to see how you can keep your data safe with Arbor. 

A. Are children safe in your schools?

B. Do you have safeguarding training? Are safeguarding audits carried out regularly

C. Are you aware of and happy with the lockdown procedure in your schools

10. Parental engagement 

Finally, you may be asked about your schools’ relationship with parents and how this relationship is maintained. You might want to check out our blog on “5 ways to boost parental engagement at your school” to see how you can effectively keep in touch with your parents. 

A. How do you communicate with parents?

B. Are parents supportive of the schools in your trust?

C. Can you tell me more about your parent questionnaires?

As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog, our new “Understanding Your School Report” will help you prepare for the new Ofsted inspection framework by allowing you to benchmark your schools’ performance data against the national average, top quintile, and schools with a similar demographic intake. Download our new report to help your schools prepare for the next inspection: https://login.arbor.sc/auth/register

Hope you find the list helpful!

 

Arbor MIS for MATs brings all your schools together so you can instantly see how everyone’s getting on, and jump in if you need to. To find out more about Group MIS, get in touch via the contact form on our website, email us at tellmemore@arbor-education.com or give us a call on 0208 050 1028.