What is a 'DfE' inspection?? Not Ofsted...???

[SignoraLiviaBurlando]

Just had a text message from a friend (teacher) to say staff were told yesterday that they will be having a DfE inspection in the next three weeks...??? ( She was not in school yesterday, got a text message form her HoD) It is an Academy, part of a chain. school was dire, taken over by Academy 3 yrs ago, was inspected 2 years ago by Ofsted in the usual way, got 'Good' (tho' many would say the leadership is pretty pisspoor not very inspiring.
She is puzzled, can't see anything online about such an inspection - I've also never heard of it and can't see anything online - would be grateful if anyone has had one of these or can cast any light... She is back in school on Mon when no doubt more will be revealed, but is a state of anxiety at the moment... TIA

Maybe its to do with how they spend their funding?

We've had a DfE inspection but ours was because we were a category 4 school.

It's not a local authority one?

Very odd. It may well be not 'teaching and learning' related but linked to budget or something.

As LA's don't have responsibility for academies, sometimes (especially but not always if there are concerns) DfE come and do their own inspection. Usually it's in advance of OFSTED and will comment on what OFSTED might say we're they to come tomorrow. It's pretty serious as DfE can pull funding, but usually not as long as an OFSTED.

*were

Thanks! Could well be related to funding... If so. presumably the teachers don't need to be quite so anxious about lesson obs etc...

Signore, depends. Most likely looking at management primarily, but almost certainly will involve lesson observations - particularly in core subjects. If funding is pulled then teachers would be made redundant, so probably worth putting their best foot forward. Sorry!! Hate these awful things. Give your friend a hug!

We are an academy. Lesson obs etc. teachers will be petrified. No funding = no school = no job

Sorry, meant to say we had lesson obs etc

We had one because GCSE results were significantly below the predictions. They come in, if they like what they see they'll not be back for a long time but might ask for regular updates on data etc..

^ not necessarily! We certainly didn't!

have you just been audited? perhaps some irregularity was brought up in the audit?

could you ask the business manager?

Re: the funding - sorry to be naïve, but how an the DfS pull the funding? The school could not close - there are (secondary) pupils to be educated and no surplus of places in other schools - I can see there could be redundancies/cost cutting, but surely a school cannot actually close down? Maybe Head/SLT/Business manager get replaced, and cost constraints put in place, but they cannot just cut off the money totally, surely...

^ They can. But yes, less likely than management changes. However management change normally means superhead who may or may not be much fun to work for.

All in all, far better to impress the DfE person/people.

We had one at the start of the year, most likely because we had just been put in special measures. They spent most of the day with leadership team but did do a thorough learning walk, talking to children and looking in books.