Schools: Inspections

Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialists in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) music, (d) languages, (e) history, (f) geography, (h) sciences, (i) social sciences and (j) physical education are employed by Ofsted to undertake school inspections; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight
This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.

Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 11 May 2007:

Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.

You asked how many specialists in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) music, (d) languages, (e) history, (f) geography, (g) sciences, (h) social sciences and (i) physical education are employed by Ofsted to undertake school inspections.

Ofsted's general programme of Section 5 school inspections does not deploy subject specialists. There is a separate programme of subject survey inspections, sampling 45 primary and 45 secondary schools for English and mathematics, and 30 primary and secondary schools for all other subjects, as agreed with the DfES. Subject specialist HMI and additional inspectors supplied by our Regional Inspection Service Providers are deployed for this work. An HMI is appointed as specialist adviser for each subject and carries the national responsibility for the subject inspection programme and the advice and dissemination that arises from it; he or she is supported by colleagues with regional responsibility.

A copy of this reply has been sent to Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Bob Russell
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum period is between which Ofsted inspections of individual schools may take place;

(2) how many schools there are in circumstances where the period since their last Ofsted inspection took place exceeds the maximum period laid down for the next inspection, broken down by local education authority; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight
New statutory arrangements for school inspections came into effect in September 2005, including a new cycle of inspection. All maintained schools must be inspected under these new arrangements between September 2005 and August 2009 and thereafter within three school years from the end of the school year in which their last inspection took place. Ofsted is on course to meet the first of these requirements. Before September 2005, schools were inspected on a six year cycle.

Schools may receive additional visits, for example as part of Ofsted's thematic survey work or programme of monitoring schools causing concern. While there is no specified minimum period between inspections, Ofsted does, for example, seek to avoid scheduling survey visits to schools which have recently had a school inspection.