School rating 'to make heads focus' (From Basingstoke Gazette)

School rating 'to make heads focus'

8:51am Thursday 9th February 2012 in National News © Press Association 2011

Sir Michael Wilshaw said Ofsted's 'satisfactory' rating would be replaced by a 'requires improvement' rating to help improve schools

The head of Ofsted has said that scrapping the "satisfactory" rating given to schools during inspections would help "focus" the minds of head teachers.

Under new grading guidelines being implemented by Sir Michael Wilshaw, the rating will be replaced by a rating of "requires improvement" in a bid to improve teaching.

The education watchdog's chief inspector said schools will then be given between 18 months and three years to improve or face being placed under special measures.

The Ofsted head, who will deliver his first keynote address since taking up the post, told ITV's Daybreak: "Satisfactory is not good enough and has been recognised so for a long time.

"Children just have one chance in school, they don't have more than one chance, and if we let our children down over the 10 years they are in primary and secondary school that is not good.

"They don't achieve the qualifications and the success they need to achieve."

It is also understood that a quarter of schools given an overall "outstanding" rating by Ofsted will have their status reviewed under the new grading system, while schools will also face "no-notice" inspections.

Mr Wilshaw said he hoped the new measures would "focus head teachers' minds and also governors" on the improvements that need to be made at schools.