Ofsted has ordered a series of snap inspections of schools across England. About 40 schools are to receive no-notice visits over a two-week period, the inspectorate said. The move follows the Trojan Horse extremism row, in the midst of which Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw had said he would look again at routine unannounced inspections, which were first mooted two years ago but dropped after strong opposition from school leaders. Sir Michael said parents would “rightly expect Ofsted inspections to get to the heart of any problems that may exist”.
The National Union of Teachers had opposed the idea of routine no-notice inspections. General Secretary, Christine Blower, said: “For accountability to be meaningful, there needs to be proper professional and respectful dialogue”.
