ISC attacks proposed Ofsted regulation of independent sector
19 October 2007
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) has today attacked the DCSF consultation proposal to transfer its responsibility for the registration and regulation of Independent Schools and Non Maintained Special Schools (NMSSs) to Ofsted. The proposals are based on serious factual errors, their logic does not hold and as a result they will not deliver the claimed benefits. Quite the opposite - the proposals will introduce confusion and uncertainty into a system which works well and simply does not need to be altered.
The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) will continue to inspect ISC member schools. But the proposals will mean that Ofsted, rather than the Secretary of State, becomes responsible for regulating the whole independent sector. ISC's concerns are that Ofsted is not accountable to Parliament and has been criticised for failing to cope with its existing responsibilities.
Speaking today, ISC Chief Executive Jonathan Shephard, said:
"These are the wrong proposals at the wrong time. In the UK we have an independent sector recognised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as providing the best education in the world. The independent sector is therefore vital to the country's educational and economic future. In contrast we have a python-like Ofsted bureaucracy struggling to digest its existing workload, whose fitness for purpose was trenchantly questioned by the Education and Skills Committee*.
It would be an act of folly to put the future of the most successful part of UK education under the red tape of Ofsted. The overwhelming logic is to keep independent sector regulation in the same place as maintained sector regulation: this is, as now, with the Secretary of State, who is answerable to Parliament for all education at school level. Subtracting the sector that produces 50% of A grades at A-level and 26.8%% of A* GCSEs would be an extreme example of pointless deckchair-moving. We hope that common sense will prevail."
Notes to editors
ISC
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) represents the seven leading independent schools associations in the United Kingdom, collectively educating more than 500,000 children in 1,278 schools. ISC exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education; the development of talent at all levels of ability; and the widening of opportunity for children from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.
Non-Maintained Special Schools (NMSSs)
ISC urges the DCSF to permit ISI to inspect those non-maintained special schools which, if the proposals are implemented, will also no longer be subject to the Secretary of State approval mechanism.
*We cannot disguise our concern as to the fitness for purpose of the organisation (Ofsted) at the present moment to date" - House of Commons Education and Skills Committee Report ‘The Work of Ofsted' 12 July 2007, para 23.
Full ISC consultation response
Press enquiries: Alexandra Caish, Head of Press, ISC
Telephone: (office) 020 7766 7060 (mobile) 0788 5620713
Email: alex.caish@isc.co.uk