As reported in TES Connect, School leaders who piloted revised framework say self-assessment may prove a heavy burden.
Two headteachers whose primary schools were among the first to trial Estyn’s new inspection framework have given the process a cautious welcome.
Huw Thomas, head of Ysgol Niwbwrch Primary on Anglesey, and Lynda Newton, head of Tyn-Y-Wern Primary near Caerphilly, both said the new inspection was a “positive experience”, but warned that the self-assessment requirement could put extra pressure on under-prepared school leaders.
Estyn’s new inspection framework, which comes into force in September this year, will make visits to schools shorter and more streamlined, with a greater emphasis on self-assessment and evaluation.
Schools will be given just four weeks’ notice of inspection visits, but only a selected number of teachers and lessons will be observed.
Inspections will be based on three key questions instead of seven, and inspectors will make two overall key judgments on the school’s performance and its prospects for improvement.
The changes were generally welcomed by teachers’ leaders, although some were concerned about the impact on heads’ workload. Schools will still be inspected every six years as before.
Ten schools and a further education college are being inspected as part of the initial pilot stage, which started last September and ends in the spring.
Niwbwrch and Tyn-Y-Wern became the first schools to undergo the new procedure when inspectors visited last October. Their inspection reports were published this week.
Both were rated “good” in each of the three key areas - outcomes, provision, and leadership and management - and the two overall key judgments.
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