Ofsted to inspect delivery of early career framework and national professional qualifications
Ofsted has published its framework and handbook for inspecting lead providers of early career framework (ECF) and national professional qualification (NPQ) programmes.
Ofsted has today published its new framework and handbook for inspecting lead providers of the Department for Education’s two new flagship professional development programmes for teachers, the early career framework (ECF) and the reformed suite of national professional qualifications (NPQs).
Read the early career framework and national professional qualification inspection framework and handbook.
These new inspections will look at the quality of professional development and training and the effectiveness of leadership and management to determine the overall effectiveness of the lead provider.
The launch of these two programmes completes the golden thread of professional development for teachers, starting with effective initial teacher education (ITE) and then developing high-quality teachers and leaders at all stages of their careers.
Ofsted has worked closely with the sector to develop the approach to this new area of work. Inspections will give confidence to early career teachers and NPQ participants, school leaders and the DfE about the quality of the training and professional development offered.
Inspections will begin in summer 2022, with monitoring visits to check that early implementation is on track. Monitoring visits will judge whether leaders are taking effective action to establish the new courses. From the spring term 2023, Ofsted will then carry out full inspections of each lead provider, a minimum of once every two academic years.
Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said:
These two new programmes have the potential to transform the quality of training and professional development for teachers. They will support the government’s plans to recruit, train and retain the highly skilled workforce needed to give pupils the best experience in education.
Our inspections of lead providers of the ECF and NPQs will make sure the programmes are of the highest quality and that teachers and school leaders are getting the best possible support.
How will these inspections work?
In the first year of a lead provider’s operation, Ofsted will conduct a lead provider monitoring visit (LPMV) to judge whether leaders are taking effective action to establish the new courses.
For full inspections, which will follow, Ofsted will judge providers on the quality of professional development and training and leadership and management.
Inspectors will use the following 4-point scale to grade the key judgement areas and the overall effectiveness judgement:
- grade 1: outstanding
- grade 2: good
- grade 3: requires improvement
- grade 4: inadequate
Ofsted inspectors will:
- only inspect DfE-funded lead providers
- visit a sample of delivery partners, ECTs and/or NPQ participants, mentors, induction tutors, and trainers to inform our assessment of a lead provider
- report on any failure to comply with the statutory requirements of the ECF
- comment on the quality of the mentor training programme
Ofsted inspectors will not:
- make judgements about individual ECTs, NPQ participants, delivery partners or mentors
- inspect ECF training in schools that deliver their own ECF-based induction (whether using the DfE accredited materials, or the ECF to design a school-based programme)
- make a judgement on the content of the ECF/NPQ programmes of education, which are set by the DfE, and approved by the EEF
- grade individual lessons taught by ECTs or NPQ participants, or sessions led by trainers or mentors
- consider the accuracy of NPQ summative assessments.
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