OFSTED inspections and their challenge

Abstract

From September 1994 maintained and non-maintained special schools, and all primary schools, have been subject to an inspection by the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). Since 1993, all secondary schools, including those with units for the visually impaired, have formed part of the new inspection process. Some special schools, including one residential and one day primary school for the visually impaired, were inspected by HMI in order to establish a model for future inspections and to train registered inspectors for their new duties. Anxiety has already been expressed about the knowledge- base of the Inspectorate. The following article attempts to examine and explain some of the reasons for this anxiety in relation both to special schools for the visually impaired and to mainstream schools with specialist provision.