Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to suspend Ofsted inspections in schools to minimise disruption during the covid-19 outbreak.

Ofsted inspections continue to play an important role in providing independent assurance as providers respond to COVID-19. It is right though that these arrangements are kept under review, and adjustments made where appropriate.

On 2 January 2022, the government announced that Ofsted will not ask inspectors who are also school leaders to undertake inspections, so they can focus on their leadership responsibilities at this critical time. Ofsted will also encourage schools that are significantly impacted by COVID-19 related staff absence to ask for their inspection to be deferred. Ofsted will look sensitively at each deferral request and judge each case on its merits. It is right that decisions about whether an inspection should go ahead is made by the independent inspectorate.

Taken together, these measures will both reduce the overall number of inspections for a temporary period, and lead to the deferral of inspections planned for institutions managing high levels of staff absence.