If you wish to apply for an inspection deferral then you should make the request during the initial telephone call with the lead inspector.
You should confirm this in writing and preferably by e-mail to the notifying inspector as soon as possible. The inspection team will continue to prepare for the inspection visit while the request for a deferral is being considered. Each case will be considered separately and on its own merits.
You should set out your reason for applying for a deferral in line with the criteria set out in the DfE guidance if appropriate.
The criteria are:
- the headteacher or a member of the senior management team is subject to a current police investigation or serious concern from another agency that would be compromised by an inspection of, or visit to, the school
- the school has experienced a recent major incident, such as a fatality involving a pupil, child, service user, trainee or a member of staff; serious injury or serious/infectious illness at a childcare provider
- the school is due to merge, close or move and there will be no useful purpose served by inspecting it
- concerns in a local area mean that an inspection/visit would be inappropriate (such as a security or incident or that means the police are focused on public safety)
- there are public health restrictions in the local area that require head teachers to close their school entirely [if government guidance confirms that schools are safe to operate and they remain open, then Ofsted will not normally defer or cancel]
- the school is closed to all users due to a staff training day or adverse weather conditions that make access difficult or dangerous – for at least half of the time for which the inspection visit has been scheduled
- at least three quarters of staff will not be at the school due to reasons such as a school trip taking place, a holiday or a religious festival – for at least half of the period for which the inspection visit has been scheduled
- a school has recently converted to become an academy. In these circumstances, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) reserves the right to go ahead with the inspection/visit if they deem it necessary or to schedule the academy’s first inspection visit at a later date.
If your reason for requesting a deferral does not match the above criteria then we advise that you make the request on the following grounds:
- the impact of the pandemic upon your school is creating severe operational difficulties which will affect the fairness and accuracy of an inspection process taking place at this particular time, due to:
- the absence of subject leaders who the inspectors will be unable to question in order to establish the effectiveness of subject leadership across the school
- the absence of class teachers who the inspectors will be unable to observe resulting in them observing classes being taught by supply staff
- school leaders covering classes which will prevent them from having discussions with inspectors concerning strategic leadership.
Further arguments which you may be able to make include the following:
- changes having been made to the curriculum in response to rising covid cases in the local area
- adaptations having been made regarding the day to day running of the school through the risk assessment, following a rise in covid-related cases within the community – this may include a temporary return to pupils being taught in bubbles which may limit the ability of inspectors to access classrooms or other parts of the school with inspectors limited to visiting outdoor spaces or large ventilated spaces within school only
- if relevant, the number of pupils working remotely versus numbers onsite and operational pressures this is creating.
It’s important to note that current DfE guidance states that where a school has had 3 consecutive deferrals then no more deferrals will be offered and an inspection of a school will go ahead.
Want to find out more?
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