Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he has taken to amend the Education Inspection Framework for 2021 in response to the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on school performance.

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a profound impact on schools across the country. The Department acknowledges the continued hard work of all school staff in ensuring that pupils receive a high quality education that enables them to thrive and progress whilst putting in place proportionate protective measures for children and staff.

It is important for school inspections to start up again in the new year, but at the right time and in the right way. The Department is working with schools and Ofsted to decide the best way to achieve this in a sensitive and gradual way.

The Department and Ofsted are clear that schools are not expected to prepare for Ofsted inspections.