How has a school escaped ofsted for 10 years?

[Windbeneathmybingowings]

We have a local girls school which has been rapidly declining in standards over the years, new head around 5 years ago, the behaviour of the pupils (and their parents) is at times shocking.

All the other local schools have been hit twice over in this time. How have they escaped?!

I think if they are ranked as outstanding they don’t have to be inspected for 10 years. I think it’s wrong - a lot can change in a decade, but that’s how it works.

Are they an independent school? I think they are inspected differently. Saying that DDs comp hasn't been done in 13 years as it was previously outstanding.

Loads of schools haven't been inspected for 10 years or longer. As pp said, outstanding schools didn't have to be reinspected for a time.
We had a school near us go from outstanding to inadequate at their last inspection, I expect this isn't that uncommon!

They were outstanding at Oct 2012 however other schools in the borough were and had smaller inspections within 4 years. I’ve looked at guidance and this seems the norm. There is a date range where they could go 5 years o think but they don’t fit this criteria.

I live on the road the school is on and I am desperate for an inspection. The parents / parking / brawling gets worse with each new intake.

Has the school changed name/academy status? We had a local one change 2 times in the past 6yrs and previous ofsted is treated as being for a different school.

Outstanding schools were taken out of the inspection cycle. They were only supposed to be inspected if serious concerns were raised.

That has since been revoked in the last couple of years, they are now back in the inspection cycle and Ofsted should be rocking up shortly. Many previously outstanding schools have not retained that status.

As @noblegiraffe said, for a long time they wouldn't have been inspected because of the outstanding status. And when this was changed, covid etc interrupted normal inspection cycles. They will be "on the list" as it were, and will probably see ofsted relatively soon, though.

And ofsted inspection won't change the behaviour of the parents, or the parking, though...

And ofsted inspection won't change the behaviour of the parents, or the parking, though...

it won’t but it’ll certainly affect the popularity. Local families know its reputation and pick the other nearest. So we get lots of children from other areas and their subsequent cars double parking up the kerbs and in peoples drive ways. Or actually standing IN the road directly outside the gate, to collect their offspring.

The school my DC are or have been at hasn’t been inspected for over 11 years. DS left last summer and so it wasn’t ever inspected while he was there. DD is in year 12 so maybe it will get inspected while she is there.

Outstanding schools have only (fairly) recently been added back in to the inspection schedule, they should be done soon.

My children's school has just been inspected after a 10 year gap. It was 'good' at the last inspection. They had a monitoring visit in 2017 but no inspection. Some just seem to have been left alone!

Yes, there are schools round my way that haven't been inspected for 12/13 even 14 years!

Mine was last inspected in 2012. It is now an academy and had a change of head. I would be shocked if it’s still outstanding.

another local school, one which parents pay £££ to buy in catchment has just made the news for going from outstanding to inadequate. It was last inspected in 2008. The year 11s from then will be 30 now.

DD's school was last inspected in 2007 !

If hasn't had an inspection since - a drop in gcse results would trigger an inspection but they are still top notch so they just don't bother.

Delays due to covid, still working through the back log.
Just because Ofsted hasn't done a full inspection doesn't mean they haven't checked on the school at all in that time. They will be monitoring results, changes in staff etc to see how they are doing and decide when to come in person.

DD's school was outstanding at its last inspection 12 years ago......

This is quite common unfortunately. My daughter's school hasn't been inspected in over ten years.

My sons school has not been inspected since 2009. It was outstanding but has a new head since then so will probably go down as it is not as good anymore.

DS school recently had an inspection- 14 years since the last one.
Most outstanding schools seem to have dropped recently- with one grammar (near me) dropping from outstanding to special measures (bullying related issues).

My kids went to a primary school that had been rated Outstanding in 2007, then despite going through 3 headteachers in the 11 years after that (one sacked after 6 months for bullying staff!) they were only inspected again in 2021 and, not surprisingly, were rated inadequate! Thankfully Ofsted have changed the rules lately about inspecting Outstanding schools more often, I think it's outrageous that they haven't done this before now.

Does anyone who knows about such things know when a previously Outstanding school which hasn't been inspected in 13 years might be done again? Like... this term? This year? Possibly a couple of years?

Our closest school is in this position and we're picking schools to start next September. It seems fine, I've no concerns based on my visit, but just wondering when they might turn up.

It’s not Presdales is it?

Our primary long overdue for an inspection.

If they do it soon it will be a car crash. Not because the school isn't well run or managed.

Its just at breaking point with behavioural issues, exceptionally high levels of SEN kids and not enough resources.

The parents will flip if it happens and it goes the way I expect.

Its actually heartbreaking.

I emailed ofsted and got this reply.

Whilst we are unable to say precisely when a school will be inspected, I can inform you about our approach to the timing of school inspections. This is designed to ensure that inspections are proportionate and focused on where we can have the most impact to encourage improvement.

The timing of a school’s inspection depends upon the overall grade it received following its previous inspection.

Between 15 May 2012 and 13 November 2020, maintained primary and secondary schools and academies judged to be outstanding in their overall effectiveness at their most recent section 5 inspection were exempt from routine inspections These schools are now once again subject to routine inspections. This also applies to academy converter schools that were formerly exempt because the overall effectiveness of their predecessor school was judged outstanding at its most recent section 5 inspection.

All formerly exempt schools will receive an initial section 5 or section 8 inspection before 1 August 2025. Those schools that were last inspected under section 5 before September 2015 will receive an initial section 5 inspection. Those last inspected under section 5 after this date will receive an initial section 8 inspection. If an initial section 8 inspection indicates that outstanding performance may not have been maintained, we will normally carry out a section 5 inspection within the next academic year or as soon as possible thereafter and, in any event, before 1 August 2025.

Schools judged Good at their last inspection will receive a two-day (section 8) inspection about every four years. The purpose of these inspections will be to establish if the school continues to be Good. This can lead to a section 5 inspection if the section 8 inspection indicates the school may no longer be Good (either because it may have improved or declined).

If a school that was judged Good at its last inspection subsequently undergoes significant change, such as in its age range, its next inspection will normally be a section 5 inspection instead of a section 8 inspection. Thereafter, if the school is judged Good, it will be eligible for a section 8 inspection.

so what does that mean, they may get away with it until 2025 in the worst scenario?

i mean ok they may still get a good and I will be proven wrong, but wouldn’t it be nice for the official governing school body to just visit and take all the guessing away? Isn’t that what ofsted exist for? So we don’t have to judge on things like the police being called the bus stop and what not?

Oh wow, thank you for that @Windbeneathmybingowings. I won't expect the catch-up Ofsted any time soon then!