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Sharing good practice

The website has an area dedicated to showcasing good practice across the sectors that we inspect and regulate. We include some of these case studies from schools, early years and childcare, learning and skills and children and families services across the country. We hope it will help providers to improve their work. To access the good practice area, visit: www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk.

You can also keep up to date with Ofsted’s work through: http://twitter.com/Ofstednews and http://www.youtube.com/ofstednews

Sections

• Schools
• Children and families services
• Adult learning and skills
• Early years and childcare

Schools

This month, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw launched a new consultation to revise our inspection arrangements for maintained schools and academies and initial teacher education from September 2012. He has been speaking at several events to outline the proposals.

We also highlight key findings from some of our recent survey reports and the work of our National Advisors in the news and feature articles.

News

High expectation, no excuses - Sir Michael Wilshaw HMCI outlines changes to Ofsted inspection in drive to deliver a good education for all -  Delivering his first major speech since becoming Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw launched detailed proposals for further changes to Ofsted inspection. These include: moving to no-notice inspections and replacing the ‘satisfactory’ judgement for school inspections with a new 'requires improvement' judgement. He has pledged to change the first two pages of the inspection report so that it is much clearer for schools, governors, pupils and parents to understand. He has also announced that Ofsted is in discussions with the National College to involve heads from outstanding schools in a small number of inspections each year. We would like to hear your views as part of the consultation.

Staying safe online - To coincide with Safer Internet Day earlier this month, we highlighted the Ofsted report, 'The safe use of technologies', first published in February 2010. It emphasised that: providing good-quality staff training, helping pupils to become safe and responsible users of technology, and raising awareness of the issues with parents should remain a high priority for schools.

Features

The value of volunteering - During Student Volunteering Week, between 20 and 26 February, we looked back at the findings and case studies in a recent Ofsted survey, 'Choosing to volunteer', which found that well-structured volunteering opportunities contribute positively to young people’s personal development and social engagement.

Transforming the teaching of ICT - While children and young people might be adept at using new technology in their everyday lives, a recent Ofsted report, 'ICT in schools', has found that the school curriculum and teaching approaches have not always kept up with the rapid pace of change, especially at secondary school level.

Good practice

Putting the local community at the heart of the Key Stage 3 history curriculum 
This case study shows how history teachers at Copleston High School in Ipswich, Suffolk, have developed an inspirational and engaging curriculum at Key Stage 3. It ensures that the subject is meaningful and relevant to all groups of students by providing them with a detailed insight into how the local community fits into wider national and international history.

Employability and enterprise education
This example describes how students at Queens Park Community School in North West London, develop employability and enterprise skills through the whole-school curriculum, extra-curricular activities and innovative projects developed with employers.

For more good practice case studies from schools across the country, visit www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk

Children and families services

In this issue, we find out about children and young people's views in the annual 'Children’s care monitor'.

Along with the new adoption inspection arrangements, we have launched the new inspection framework for fostering, and made revisions to the children’s homes framework introduced a year ago.

Deputy Chief Inspector John Goldup launches a best practice report for social workers in child protection. He also discusses social care inspection at a lecture and through a live blog with 'Community Care'.  

News

To be an outstanding authority delays in adoption must be tackled - Only local authorities that ensure all children identified for adoption are placed within 12 months will be able to achieve an ‘outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted under new adoption inspection arrangements published this month.

Half of children given hardly any notice before being moved - The 'Children’s care monitor' reveals nearly 2,000 children’s views through an online survey carried out in 2011 by the Children's Rights team. This year, the survey included a new focus on children’s experiences of placement change in care.

Ofsted's Deputy Chief Inspector John Goldup gave the first Annual Social Care lecture - On 1 February, John Goldup delivered Ofsted's first Annual Social Care Lecture, 'Bureaucratic burden or force for improvement: can inspection square the circle?' to an audience of local authorities, academics, other inspectorates and representatives from the voluntary and community sector at the London School of Economics. The lecture transcript, video and podcast are all available. You can also find a link to the social work survey report, 'High expectations, high support and high challenge', and to the inspection framework for local authority arrangements to protect children.

Deputy Chief Inspector: live chat on children's services inspections - John Goldup also took part in a live web debate for 'Community Care'  on 22 February.

Good practice

A collaborative approach to tackling equality and diversity through the use of targeted safeguarding responses
This case study describes how Kirklees Council worked with faith and community organisations to produce a document, 'Safeguarding children – guidance for madressahs and supplementary schools', in Urdu and English. It promotes effective behaviour management; provides guidance for the protection of children and young people; and discusses methods to ensure the health and safety of staff and pupils.

Recruitment and retention of staff and the involvement of young people in the process
This case study looks at how young people at Canon’s House, a respite provision for children with disabilities, are involved in the recruitment of staff. It also examines the measures taken to retain staff to enable stability and continuity for children and young people

For more good practice case studies from children and families services across the country, visit www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk

Adult learning and skills

This month, we launch a new consultation to revise our inspection arrangements for further education and skills and initial teacher education from September 2012.

We also highlight key findings and outstanding provision identified in some of our survey reports through the feature articles. 

News

High expectation, no excuses - Sir Michael Wilshaw HMCI outlines changes to Ofsted inspection in drive to deliver a good education for all - Delivering his first major speech since becoming Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw launched detailed proposals for further changes to Ofsted inspection. We would like to hear your views as part of the consultation.

Features

National Apprenticeship Week – celebrating success - To mark National Apprenticeship Week, between 6 and 10 February, we highlighted some examples of best practice to show how successful apprenticeships can bring considerable benefits to employers, individuals and the economy.

The value of volunteering - During Student Volunteering Week, between 20 and 26 February, we looked back at the findings and case studies in a recent Ofsted survey, 'Choosing to volunteer', which found that well-structured volunteering opportunities contribute positively to young people’s personal development and social engagement.

Good practice

Supporting prisoners with a range of diverse needs to engage in learning: HMP Stafford
This case study shows how HMP Stafford provides a highly effective programme of support for prisoners who are in danger of being excluded from education, training or work because of poor behaviour. The programme helps prisoners improve their confidence and self- esteem by engaging in learning or training to give them the best chance of gaining employment or taking their learning further upon release.

Obtaining excellent value for money through procurement
This example shows how Alton College has developed cost-effective and successful procurement procedures to ensure excellent value for money.

For more good practice case studies from learning and skills provision across the country, visit www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk

Inspection updates

Sustainable development in learning and skills inspections – 15 Feb 2012
This guidance highlights aspects of the Common Inspection Framework to show how inspection takes account of sustainability and determines the impact of providers’ efforts to improve aspects of learners’ well-being and to prepare learners for their future.

Early years and childcare

In this issue, we remind you about our consultation on changes to the way we will register and inspect early years providers, including nurseries and childminders. The changes will coincide with the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, which the government intends to publish in September 2012.

News

Ofsted seeks views on the regulation of early years and childcare providers - The page contains the consultation document and a link to the online questionnaire. It also includes a video outlining our proposals for early years inspection and regulation.  

Statistics

Official statistics: Early years and childcare registered providers inspections and outcomes – 7 Feb 2012
This quarterly release contains commentary, charts and tables in pdf format, charts and tables in Excel format, and the underlying data in Excel and comma separated values (.csv) format. It was updated in February 2012.

Good practice

Creating an inclusive school community
This case study describes how Central Street Infant and Nursery School in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, has successfully tackled homophobic language, attitudes and behaviour in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1.

For more good practice case studies from early years and childcare provision across the country, visit www.goodpractice.ofsted.gov.uk

Inspection updates

Conducting children's centres inspections – 14 Feb 2012
Children’s centres can use this guidance to see how inspections will be conducted and may find it helpful when carrying out their self-evaluation. This document was updated in February 2012.

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