Thread by @SchoolsWeek

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted chief inspector, is due to give a keynote speech at #EducationFest - follow for live tweets

'So I’m going to practice what I preach today and steer well clear of Westminster speculation. There are times I’m very happy to remind everyone that the post of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is, as the name suggests, a crown appointment,' she begins

Spielman said 'recognising additional needs is perhaps harder now than before the pandemic'

'We know that some children aren’t where they would normally have been at this point. The KS2 results this week for reading were encouraging, but for maths were a disappointing reminder that, despite all your efforts, there is still some way to go'

Spielman said attendance 'has to be the top priority'. 'Lots of good work' has been happening to improve attendance from the rates seen earlier this year

She said 'it is clear that a prolonged period without normal structures and routines has contributed to behaviour problems this year in all age groups'

On Ofsted's influence, Spielman said it can have 'unforeseen consequences'. 'A positive comment in a report, perhaps recognising the success of a school’s particular way of doing something, can spawn a thousand imitations, that copy the style but not the substance'

Spielman says: 'Young people have always been willing to question the establishment and the mainstream consensus. But the very idea of a mainstream consensus sometimes seems increasingly contentious'

She said that the DfE guidance on political impartiality 'reminds us that impartiality isn’t just about keeping one’s own politics out of the classroom; it’s about providing balance'

On Ofsted's future: 'There are also calls for us to shift our emphasis more fundamentally towards mental health and wellbeing.

'But it is important to recognise how much this is already the case... the personal development judgement covers a school’s approach to wellbeing.

'But we entirely recognise that there has been a sharp rise in mental health issues among children, so mental health and wellbeing are likely to remain big concerns...

...on the one hand, we need schools to be linked effectively to all the health and other services on which children depend. But we also need to avoid overloading schools with therapeutic or clinical services, or losing sight of their core educational purpose'

'I recognise we can’t reach every aspect of a school on inspection, or look at the work of every teacher. But we have worked collaboratively to develop a clear approach to inspection. And that approach is ultimately about the dialogue and feedback that will help schools improve'

She said using Ofsted grades to trigger academisation or a transfer from one trust to another 'is undoubtedly a simple and transparent way to make these decisions.

'But it inevitably raises the stakes on inspection for schools at risk of a low grade'

'We can’t differentiate our overall achievement grade based on geography, or context. We can’t say a school is good enough in Knowsley, if it would be below the line in Buckingham. That’s not being fair to schools - that’s being unfair to children'

Now Spielman is in Q&A with @miss_mcinerney. She is asked if Ofsted went back into schools at the right time. 'I sort of wish we hadn't been completely out of schools in summer 2020,' she says

Spielman said overall schools are coming out as well as they did pre-pandemic. 'The outcomes from inspections this year don't suggest that we're being tougher'

Spielman said 'hanging automatic consequences on a judgment boundary is always going to be difficult'

She says she worries that people think wellbeing and education are separate things. 'I think there's an intellectual confusion that sometimes creeps in'

On the next 12 months, Spielman wants to make 'real headway' on their strategy, particularly around early education and childcare

And that's it, thank you for following!