But concerns have been raised<\/a> that the doubling of graded areas will likely lead to more pressure on providers and create a \u201cgreater risk of error\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking at the Apprenticeship and Training Conference 2025<\/a> on Monday, Owston said: \u201cNothing is set in stone yet \u2013 so tell us what you think, what you like, what could be better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis a real chance to help us shape the future of inspection and as a consequence, the education and life chances of millions of children and learners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt needs to work for them, but it also needs to work for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responding to concerns that there is a short window to make further changes between the consultation end in April and the planned roll out November, the national director said he believes Ofsted has \u201cenough time\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added: \u201cObviously, I can\u2019t answer that 100 per cent until I know what the complete outcome of the consultation looks like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to do anything reckless or knee-jerk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll be listening to what the sentiment is across the full scale of responses and if we need to think again, and that\u2019s something that we will do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we need to go back to another consultation that is something that we\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see where we get to by the by the end of April, and then our plans are that if things can be tweaked and adjusted without going back to consultation, then we\u2019ll launch this in in November.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, on Thursday, Ofsted’s director of strategy Rory Gribbell seemed to all but rule out another consultation – contradicting Owston’s comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He tweeted: “We\u2019ve consistently said nothing is set in stone, but we have clear plans to introduce changes in November and we don\u2019t expect there to be a further round of consultation.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added this was because the inspectorate was “hearing a lot of positive feedback, as well as some challenges. We’ll reflect and come back in the summer, as planned”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ofsted\u2019s new report cards will continue to grade schools and colleges on areas such as leadership and safeguarding, but will introduce new grades for areas such as inclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owston said that the inspectorate will recognise that training providers cannot always improve achievement rates \u201csingle handedly\u201d and will try to praise providers who \u201cexceed expectations in spite of any prevailing headwinds\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department for Education and Ofsted are also working together to maintain the \u201ccontinuity\u201d in its rules over what level of grade providers need to retain their funding contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Owston also pushed back on suggestions that the new report cards had been \u201ccobbled together\u201d amid concerns from Ofsted insiders <\/a>that were leaked to Schools Week <\/em>in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said: \u201cNo, we\u2019re not throwing baby out with the bath water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe did a lot of research right at the back beginning of the [education inspection framework] in 2018 and 2019, we\u2019re not we\u2019re not removing all of that great research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is building on the best of what we do, but more importantly, listening to you through the Big Listen and events like this to change the bits that need to be even better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo it\u2019s building on it, rather than completely replacing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ofsted\u2019s consultation<\/a> closes<\/a> on April 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Watchdog\u2019s national director also insists report card proposals do not \u2018throw the baby out with the bath water\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":224718,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[28,25],"post-theme":[2378],"class_list":["post-226723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-dfe","tag-ofsted","post-theme-ofsted"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t![\"Lee](\"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Lee-Owston-inset-400px.jpg\")