Ratings from Ofsted ‘have little impact on school achievement’
OFSTED RATINGS have little bearing on student wellbeing and enjoyment of school life and may have little impact on educational achievement, research suggests.
Academics at the University of York have questioned the usefulness of ratings to parents as studies showed students at the lowestrated schools were just as happy and ambitious.
Furthermore, the research suggests, Ofsted ratings of secondary school quality accounted for less than one per cent of the differences in students’ educational achievement at age 16.
Prof Sophie von Stumm, lead author of the report from the university’s Department of Education, said: “Parents often go to great lengths to secure a place at an ‘outstanding’ school for their children – either by moving house or commuting long distances.
“Our research suggests these investments don’t really achieve what they are aimed at – good grades and well-being for children. So parents should ask themselves: is an outstanding school really worth spending an hour commuting each day rather than using the time to play or read?”
The study, published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, looked at data from just under 4,400 pupils in England, examining family backgrounds, academic grades and engagement surveys.
Much of the difference in educational outcomes at the age of 16 could be attributed to socio-economic status and achievement at primary level, researchers said, rather than Ofsted ratings.
A spokesman for Ofsted said eight out of 10 parents found its work useful.
“It’s not our ratings that impact on outcomes for pupils, it’s the quality of education that a school provides, which is down to the hard work of the staff,” he said.
“Our judgments recognise the schools that are changing lives – and we’ve found a close link between the progress pupils make at a school and its Ofsted rating.
“But above all, our inspection reports focus on what parents care most about – what it is like to be a child at a school and what the school does well or could do better.”