September 2012

The know zone

  • Field of dreams
    The DfE's Olympic call for more sport in state schools – coinciding with the relaxing of regulations for school sport accommodation – has left the sport lobby up in arms. Richard Bird examines the potential legal impact... More
  • Say a little prayer...
    The government is ploughing ahead with its plans to reform school funding but what exactly will these changes be and how will they affect schools? Sam Ellis explains the many complexities of these proposals and looks at what they will mean for schools. More
  • Lead vocals
    Quotes from Henry Brook Adams, Margaret Meade, Victor Hugo and Donald Quinn More
  • Prince of tides
    Anthony Smith is executive head of Hipperholme and Lightcliffe High School (HLHS) on the outskirts of Halifax as well as the Fountain Springs Day Nursery and Maltings College which are based in a Grade II listed former brewery in the town. Next summer, he is swimming the Channel for Cancer Research UK. More
  • Learning Aid
    ProTrainings' first aid course helps students understand the fundamental principles of first aid and gives them the confidence to act in an emergency. More
  • Adding value
    Getting the best from your staff More
  • Reformed views
    Are GCSEs in need of reform or are they fit for purpose? The government is planning major reform to GCSEs that could lead to a return to O level-style qualifications and could give a single exam board responsibility for each subject. Here, leaders share their own views. More
  • Leaders' surgery
    Advice on Ofsted and Portable CRB checks? More
  • Grade inflation not just hot air
    ASCL's last Council meeting, on 21-22 June, took place well before GCSE results day. However, concerns about the future of exams and accusations of grade inflation were already high on the agenda. More
  • Weather the storm
    This year's English GCSE grading fiasco signals the beginning of a tempest of reform to curriculum and assessment. Brian Lightman sets out what is known so far – and more importantly what is not. More
  • Mr Gove
    The talk in Westminster has been of a re-shuffle and the name Gove has been much to the fore. So what might he do next? Peter Campling explores the possibilities. More
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LEADERS' SURGERY

The antidote to common leadership conundrums...

Advice on Ofsted

Q I know that from September Ofsted has implemented 'short notice' inspections. Our school is due to be inspected this year – what will this actually mean in terms of notice and what effects will it have?

A For schools, short notice means being informed of their inspection the afternoon before. (For FE colleges it will be two days prior, down from three weeks.) The regulations state that it has to be after 12pm. In the pilot inspections, this has varied from early to late afternoon but the most common was about 2pm. This is to allow the school to contact the chair of governors so s/he can talk to inspectors.

Therefore, a school needs to be inspection ready if it is due a visit. There might just be time to brief staff that afternoon and alter any arrangements that conflict with the visit. There will only be one phone call with the lead inspector; there will not be time for the lead inspector to send and discuss a pre-inspection briefing.

Self-evaluation is still crucial and although the head can send the information to the lead inspector, it will not go to the rest of the team who will have RAISEonline data. As they will have to access self-evaluation in school, it needs to be concise and very focussed.

Parent View will replace the parent questionnaires and pupil ones will go. Well prepared schools will have their own analysed surveys.

There is more information at www.ascl.org.uk/inspection

Portable CRB checks?

Q I had been told that criminal record bureau (CRB) checks were going to become portable from organisation to organisation. Has this happened yet?

A There are several changes to the vetting and barring process which come into effect this September, but portable CRB checks is not one of them – yet.

The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 did away with the proposed Vetting and Barring Scheme, which would have potentially seen many thousands more volunteers require checks. Instead the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will become part of a new Disclosure and Barring Service in December, "to oversee a scaled-back barring regime focused only on roles working most closely with vulnerable groups".

At some point in 2013, an Update Service will be launched. The intent is that, on payment of a fee, a person can get an update, which essentially means that a single CRB check will be portable.

As of September, there are only two situations where one is legally prevented from employing staff : that a person is barred by the Independent Safeguarding Authority (or the Disclosure and Barring Service), or that s/he is subject to a prohibition order from the Secretary of State. There will be no fine gradations of the kind imposed by the GTC(E), though any already in force must be served.

It is not envisaged that checks issued prior to September will need to be refreshed; this will be a decision for employers under their rechecking policies. Many employers undertake rechecks under a cyclical process – this could still remain.

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LEADING READING