Ofsted Board minutes: 21 April 2021
Updated 28 July 2022
Applies to England
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Present
Christine Ryan (Chair)
Pamela Scriven
Amanda Spielman (HMCI)
Martin Spencer
John Cridland
Carole Stott
Laura Wyld
Venessa Willms
Julie Kirkbride
Hamid Patel
Also in attendance
Matthew Coffey (Chief Operating Officer)
Sean Harford (National Director, Education)
Yvette Stanley (National Director, Social Care)
Louise Grainger (Director, Finance, Planning and Commercial)
Chris Jones (Director, Corporate Strategy)
Emily Williams (Deputy Director, Governance, Strategy and Private Office) (meeting item, strategy development 2021-22)
Corporate Governance Manager
Corporate Governance Officer
Department for Education - observer
Head of Strategy (meeting item, strategy development 2021-22)
Senior Strategy Analyst (meeting item, strategy development 2021-22)
Strategy Analyst (meeting item, strategy development 2021-22)
Status
Approved at the board meeting on 22 June 2021.
Welcome, apologies and declarations of interest
The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting.
Julie Kirkbride declared that her position as Trustee of the New Schools Network has now changed to Vice Chair.
Venessa Willms declared that her position has changed from Director of Primary Education to Director of Education at Ark Schools.
Laura Wyld declared that she was a serving member on the House of Lords Public Services Committee, which is holding an inquiry into the role of public services in addressing child vulnerability.
Minutes, matters arising, action log and forward look
The minutes of the February board meeting were agreed as a correct record.
Update from Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI)
Routine inspections will resume from 4 May with full inspections resuming in September. Our plans for restart were largely well received by the sector.
The board noted the request from government for Ofsted to undertake a thematic review of the safeguarding policies in state schools, private schools, and colleges in relation to sexual abuse. The review is related to current practice and will look at the systems in place to allow pupils and students to report any concerns related to sexual abuse.
A reference group with HMCI as Chair has been established with representatives from various groups. It is expected that the review will conclude at the end of May and will report on the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements and where improvements are required.
The board noted HMCI’s attendance at the National Economy and Recovery Taskforce meetings alongside Sir Kevan Collins, the government’s Education Recovery Commissioner, to discuss education recovery and the role the education inspection framework (EIF) will have in supporting this work.
Update from the Chief Operating Officer (COO)
The COO updated the board on the number of EY applications out of target as of 29 March. Delays were largely due to the relaxation in contacting applicants and local authorities for further information during the pandemic, with plans now in place to chase those that remain outstanding.
The board noted changes to the regional director team following Bradley Simmons’s departure from Ofsted on 30 June.
Update from the Director, Corporate Strategy
The board noted the corporate strategy report. The terms of reference for the review into sexual abuse have been published.
Strategy development 2021-22
The board discussed in detail the approach to the development of the new Strategy and the strategic priorities for the next 12 months.
The board agreed with the aim to publish a new strategy in April 2022 and the timelines to ensure its completion.
The board approved the strategic priorities for the next 12 months and suggested Ofsted’s role as a ‘force for improvement’ principle be made more explicit in future papers between now and the next strategy. The aggregation of insights metric continues to be significant in supporting our response to educational recovery.
Board members agreed that the board should monitor progress of the strategic priorities, to ensure they remain strategy driven rather than on operational issues. HMCI explained that most of the available metrics cannot reliably be measured more than annually and many are temporarily unavailable during the COVID suspension of routine inspection.
The Chair will invite some board members to attend a strategic metrics advisory group to refine and endorse the metrics in the current strategy and the development of metrics for the 2022 strategy.
Update from the National Director, Regulation and Social Care
There are continuing sufficiency issues in children’s homes. A project group has been established that is overseen by the regulation and social care programme board to consider how to regulate providers offering outreach services and emergency placements to children.
We received a record response rate to our annual social care point in time survey on children and stakeholders’ experiences over the last 12 months. The report will be published in the summer.
Update from the National Director, Education
The board noted the education report. The section 5 and 8 handbooks have been updated in advance of increased activity onsite in the summer term with small adaptations related to COVID-19 and the removal of the outstanding exemption.
A SEND research report will be published in May to report findings on how children and young children’s needs are met in mainstream schools. The report will be circulated to the board for information.
Finance update
The board noted the finance report. Subject to audit, the full year forecast underspend is £18.3 million.
Strategic risks update
The board noted the strategic risks updated. The risks will be reviewed following the strategy development discussion earlier in the meeting.
Audit and Risk Assurance Committee update
The committee agreed the timetable for the 2020-21 annual report and accounts. A draft report will be shared with ARAC members for comment in May and will then go to the June ARAC meeting to recommend the board to sign off the accounts.
AOB
The Chair announced Hamid Patel as senior board member following Kathryn August’s departure from the board.
The Chair informed board members that the away day will take place on 21 and 22 July. Venue and arrangements will be confirmed in due course.
The Chair provided a brief update on the ALB Chairs Network April meeting. A written update will be circulated to the board for information.
The Chair will invite some board members to attend the strategic metrics advisory group.