Writing for The Leaders Council, Hey with Zion Primary School headteacher Andrew Clowes looks at how Ofsted inspections takes place and thinks they should be more expansive when looking at all elements of a school administration.
I am unusual as a headteacher in that I like Ofsted inspections. I think there should be far, far more of them. (See my article published 4th Jan 2022).
Their areas of focus, though, do not include how schools manage their budget. I think they should.
My school had an Ofsted inspection a couple of months ago. Now that the report has been published I am permitted to write of it.
I shall describe what it is like for a school to receive an Ofsted inspection, and explain why budget management should be included as a focus.
The process of inspection sensibly varies according to the context of the school. Where there are perceived problems in a school, or where it has not been inspected for a very long time, there are more inspectors and it feels more intense. My school received the lighter touch version. It still felt quite intense.
For me, it involved a 90 minute telephone interview on the morning I was informed Ofsted would be coming- during which I learned the inspector had already scrutinised our website and checked my online profile- and he came in person for the next two days.
Throughout, my approach was to be positive and honest. No school is ever perfect and there are always things to do. To try to conceal what needs to be addressed is not only dishonest but can lead to questions about your judgement; your character.
The inspector was impeccably charming but astute- I am sure it would have been an uncomfortable couple of days had we not been doing a decent job- and he spoke with pupils, parents, staff, governors and a local authority representative as well as myself. It is right that inspections should be thorough: a lot of money is spent on schools.
He read documents I had provided for him; he checked safeguarding matters. He listened to children read and he looked at exercise books. He observed numerous lessons and conducted “deep dives” (focussed enquiries) into sample areas of reading, Maths and Geography.
He reported not just on the academic aspect of the children’s experiences at school but also the pastoral, social and emotional aspects. In teacher speak, “behaviour and attitudes” and “personal development”.
He reported accurately and intelligently.
How we handle the finances, though, is not inspected. Yet sorting out the money situation before I retire is my most pressing issue.
Everybody knows public sector finances are tight. Good management of them, at every level, is important.
School budgets have been damaged by the unfunding of pay awards this year- £38k p.a. is the unplanned cost to my school- and we have all seen rising energy bills. An extra £24k is the hit there. Plus inflation.
Each school will deal with it in its own way. Me, I’ve chosen to replace a full time teacher who left with just a part time replacement- it reduces leadership time for the deputy head but saves £30k p.a. Also I have agreed to take on an extra day’s work per week myself, working for a trust which should pay the school £7k to £8k this school year; and I have agreed with governors a phased retirement for myself, which will save around another £25k+. This may help succession management, depending upon who is appointed as my successor.
I think my school has come up with imaginative, bespoke solutions to the large budgetary problems with which all schools have been confronted. At this school we should be able to prevent the children’s education from being harmed and no redundancies are anticipated.
Managing the finances is such an important part of running any organisation. It would be good to see that reflected in the next Ofsted inspection framework for schools. I think it should be.
