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Another short(ish) thread about #Ofsted ... I no longer have any faith (and I never had much) in the impartiality of the inspectorate.
As far as I’m concerned, this is not what an ‘evidence informed’ organisation looks like - this is an ideological inspectorate that has a view and quotes only the evidence that backs it up.
The research quoted to support the new frameworks has a worrying circularity – it quotes reports commissioned by the DfE, and research done by Ofsted’s own Director of Research.
Ofsted have created an echo chamber for themselves, in which they listen only to those people they agree with, and not to any dissenting voices. Challenge is met with defensiveness or silence.
Of all the issues that I have with the new frameworks, by far the most pressing is the suggestion that it is ‘appropriate’ to narrow the curriculum in KS1. That schools replace narrowing in KS2 with narrowing in KS1.
(If you're not sure what I mean, see the attached.) 
This not only contradicts the National Curriculum (70% of primary schools are not academies), it denies these children their legal right to a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum, set out in the Education Act.
There are also worrying signs that we are being pushed towards an approach to behaviour in the early years (and elsewhere) that is about obeying adults and not about developing self regulation.
I’m going to respond to the consultation, but given the history of such things, I don’t believe it is much more than an exercise in Ofsted trying to look like it is listening.
And I’m going to suggest that our staff do not change their practice in any way in response to the new framework. Our families trust us to do the right thing by their children. And I refuse to let #Ofsted change that. /Ends
