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| Ofsted criticised over 'cut-and-paste' school reports | Ofsted criticised over 'cut-and-paste' school reports |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Ofsted is facing criticism after it emerged that inspection reports declaring two schools inadequate contained a number of identical sentences and phrases. | |
| Union leaders raised concerns that inspectors were "cutting and pasting" in reports, and warned that there was a problem with formulaic guidelines that inspectors must follow for school visits. | |
| The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said the practice was unacceptable, given that the fate of a school could rest on an inspection. | |
| Two reports, one on Belvedere junior school in Bexley, south-east London, and one on Malmesbury primary school in Tower Hamlets, east London, were found to include a high number of similarities, the Times Educational Supplement reported. | |
| Ofsted said it stood by the judgments in the reports, but is looking into the similarities in wording. | Ofsted said it stood by the judgments in the reports, but is looking into the similarities in wording. |
| Both contain the sentence: "Some teachers do not plan learning for pupils at their different levels of ability and marking is not leading to improvement." | Both contain the sentence: "Some teachers do not plan learning for pupils at their different levels of ability and marking is not leading to improvement." |
| And both state: "The majority of parents and carers are positive about how well the school develops their children's skills in reading, writing and mathematics." | And both state: "The majority of parents and carers are positive about how well the school develops their children's skills in reading, writing and mathematics." |
| In each report, inspectors disagree with this view. | In each report, inspectors disagree with this view. |
| Both also make similar comments about the low attainment of pupils in reading, writing and maths. | Both also make similar comments about the low attainment of pupils in reading, writing and maths. |
| One goes on to say: "This is because pupils, especially in Key Stage 2, have not been taught effectively to sound out individual letters and groups of letters to work out unfamiliar words when reading. | One goes on to say: "This is because pupils, especially in Key Stage 2, have not been taught effectively to sound out individual letters and groups of letters to work out unfamiliar words when reading. |
| "They have not been provided with enough opportunities across the curriculum to write at length and their grasp of basic number skills is not as secure as it should be. These weaknesses mean the curriculum is inadequate." | |
| The second says: "This is because pupils have not been taught effectively to sound out individual letters and groups of letters to work out unfamiliar words. | The second says: "This is because pupils have not been taught effectively to sound out individual letters and groups of letters to work out unfamiliar words. |
| "They have not been provided with enough opportunities across the curriculum to write at length, and their grasp of basic number skills is not as secure as it should be." | "They have not been provided with enough opportunities across the curriculum to write at length, and their grasp of basic number skills is not as secure as it should be." |
| Both schools were visited by a team with the same lead inspector who works for Tribal, a company contracted by Ofsted to carry out inspections. | Both schools were visited by a team with the same lead inspector who works for Tribal, a company contracted by Ofsted to carry out inspections. |
| Belvedere was inspected in January, with the report, which judged the school should be put into special measures, published in March. | Belvedere was inspected in January, with the report, which judged the school should be put into special measures, published in March. |
| Malmesbury was inspected in March, with the report declaring it inadequate and requiring special measures published a month later. | Malmesbury was inspected in March, with the report declaring it inadequate and requiring special measures published a month later. |
| An Ofsted spokeswoman said: "Both inspection reports were subject to moderation by Ofsted and we stand by the judgments they record. | An Ofsted spokeswoman said: "Both inspection reports were subject to moderation by Ofsted and we stand by the judgments they record. |
| "We are concerned by the similarity of some of the wording used in the two reports and this is being looked into with the inspector concerned." | "We are concerned by the similarity of some of the wording used in the two reports and this is being looked into with the inspector concerned." |
| In a statement, Tribal said it aimed to ensure that reports "reflect the uniqueness of schools". | |
| "Tribal stands by the judgments in these two particular reports," it said. | "Tribal stands by the judgments in these two particular reports," it said. |
| "Similarities noted in some of the wording caused concern and are being rigorously investigated. If proven, Tribal will take swift action to stop using the inspector again." | |
| Russell Hobby, the NAHT general secretary, told the TES he had heard anecdotal accounts of other "cut-and-paste" reports, adding that this was "not acceptable given that the fate of the school rests on what is written". | Russell Hobby, the NAHT general secretary, told the TES he had heard anecdotal accounts of other "cut-and-paste" reports, adding that this was "not acceptable given that the fate of the school rests on what is written". |
| The NAHT's head of research, Lesley Gannon, said: "Problems are compounded at the second stage of the inspection process when the reports are rewritten by a moderator – someone who has never been to the school – who checks the descriptions to ensure they fit the grades described in the inspection schedule. | The NAHT's head of research, Lesley Gannon, said: "Problems are compounded at the second stage of the inspection process when the reports are rewritten by a moderator – someone who has never been to the school – who checks the descriptions to ensure they fit the grades described in the inspection schedule. |
| "Inspectors just cut and paste, regurgitating wording from the evaluation schedule. Therefore the reports are often more similar than they are individual." | "Inspectors just cut and paste, regurgitating wording from the evaluation schedule. Therefore the reports are often more similar than they are individual." |