There’s no magic potion to boost results, it’s about basics, says Ofsted chief

Schools should concentrate on the basics to raise standards, according to Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman
PA
Anna Davis @_annadavis4 December 2018

Schools should stop looking for the latest technology “gimmicks” to raise standards — and concentrate on teaching the basics instead, the head of Ofsted said today.

Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman warned that teachers must make sure every child can read properly, rather than looking for a “magic potion” that will boost results.

Speaking at the launch of Ofsted’s annual report in Westminster today, she said poorer children still fell behind their more affluent peers when it came to reading, for no good reason.

Ms Spielman revealed that she wants Ofsted inspectors to focus more on the literacy levels of younger pupils in the future.

She said: “Some policy makers and practitioners are constantly looking for the next magic potion that will infallibly raise standards or reduce the numbers of children in care.

Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman warned that teachers must make sure every child can read properly
PA

“Indeed, despite the history of snake oil, white elephants and fashionable gimmicks that have in the main been debunked, there remains a curious optimism that the elixir of education is just around the corner. But the truth is, we don’t need an elixir to help raise standards, because we already have the tried and tested ingredients we need.”

Her second report as chief inspector states: “It is often tempting to reach for new ideas or complex interventions to improve outcomes for children.

“But evidence from our inspections across all our remits is that the core of success for providers — what makes most difference for young people — is getting the basics right.

“It is hard to overstate the importance of early literacy. Reading is the gateway to almost every other subject, and to children discovering their own unique interests and talents. For that reason alone, ensuring that children master literacy is a central issue of social justice.”

Today’s report also highlights that London schools are doing better than those elsewhere. It found 92 per cent of all schools in the capital were judged good or outstanding at their latest inspection, compared with 86 per cent nationally.

Despite this, Ms Spielman raised concerns about knife crime after Ofsted carried out a study on the problem in London this year. Today’s report said gangs were sending children into schools with knives in bags with the aim of getting them excluded.

She called for schools to work with police, local authorities and the community to share information about gang networks to help keep pupils safe.

Mike Sheridan, Ofsted London director, said: “Youth violence and violent crime is a worry for many young people, and schools are all too aware of the threat of gangs and the potential of criminal exploitation for our children.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

MORE ABOUT