Schools inspections shake-up

Major changes to the way schools are inspected, involving more frequent checks and much less warning for teachers, were unveiled today by education watchdog Ofsted.

The gap between inspections will be halved from six to three years for most schools, and advance notice will be slashed from up to 10 weeks to as little as one working day.

Chief inspector David Bell said this would enable Ofsted to "present a warts-and-all picture of schools as we find them, not how schools wish to be found".

He launched a twomonth consultation on his proposals, which will require changes to the law governing Ofsted. If ministers agree, the "shorter, sharper" inspections could begin in the autumn of next year, said Mr Bell. In Ofsted's 10 years, many state schools have been inspected twice but the process needed to be made less " burdensome" for teachers, who often spent weeks preparing "meaningless" paperwork.

Inspection should become part of the school's "natural" cycle instead of a "long-anticipated trauma", he added.

The visits would be much shorter, focused on "core" subjects including English and maths, and reports cut from up to 80 pages to six at most.

Mr Bell said the reforms would save the equivalent in teachers' time of putting an extra 1,000 staff into English state schools, he said.

School Standards Minister David Miliband said: "It is right to seek improvements that will deliver a sharper focus, lighter touch and clearer link to improvement."