Ofsted have launched their new parent view website allowing parents to give their views of schools. And anyone can view the results of a school once 3 parents have completed the survey.

Information is gathered by means of a 12 question online survey, answering each question strongly agree to strongly disagree. Here are the questions:

1. My child is happy at this school
2. My child feels safe at this school
3. My child makes good progress at this school
4. My child is well looked after at this school
5. My child is taught well at this school
6. My child receives appropriate homework for their age
7. This school ensures the pupils are well behaved
8. This school deals effectively with bullying
9. This school is well led and managed
10. This school responds well to any concern I raise
11. I receive valuable information from the school about my child's progress
12. I would recommend this school to another parent

The questions are similar but subtly different to the 13 question parental survey undertaken as part of an inspection by Ofsted. See related blog post.

A new inspection framework is on its' way. What do we know so far?

27 judgement areas down to 4:

• Pupil achievement
• The quality of teaching
• The quality of leadership and management
• The behaviour and safety of pupils

Plus, there will be an overall effectiveness judgement.

You can read the Evaluation Schedule for Inspectors being used in the Summer 2011 pilots here.

To supplement their judgements, Inspectors are specifically asked to consider evidence from surveys of pupils, parents, staff or governors which either they or the school have undertaken.

Here's the relevant extracts from the guidance:

Teaching Quality

Inspectors should supplement first hand observations by:
"analysing evidence provided by the school about pupils’, parents’ and carers’ and staff views of teaching in addition to the outcomes of any questionnaires arranged as part of the inspection"

Behaviour and safety of pupils

"Inspectors must take into account a range of evidence to judge what behaviour is like over an extended period of time and should consider:"

"the views expressed by pupils, and different groups of pupils, on behaviour and safety, and their views on harassment, racism and bullying within the school, including cyber-bullying, homophobic and trans-gender bullying"

and

"the views of parents and carers, staff, governors and others"

So it's clear that in at least 2 key judgement areas, inspectors will be considering the views of those close to the school. The school can decide whether to rely on surveys completed as part of the inspection or put in a survey program in advance in order to prepare their evidence and take any corrective actions necessary.

Ofsted has just published a consultation paper on its new proposals for inspecting schools from January 2012.

As previously commented on, outstanding schools are exempt from routine inspection, but an article in todays TES indicates that many people, from the predictable to the less predictable, are anxious about this 'gap'.

Christine Gilbert (Ofsted's Chief Inspector) is reported as suggesting it is a cost cutting measure and desktop analysis or complaints from parents may not pick up a deterioration in performance quickly enough.

Russell Hobby (general secretary of heads' union the NAHT) is quoted as being "uncomfortable with no inspections for outstanding schools.are both anxious about the impact of this."

Even the executive principal of a pair of federated schools, Andrew Hutchinson, said "Not having Ofsted inspections leaves a gap if the school is never looked at from the outside, and that is a recipe for potential problems."
He has decided to bring in external experts. An external company providing these services even suggested that the standards of inspectors may start to slip if they never visit the best schools...

Not every school can stretch to the expense of bringing in a team of external experts, but a very affordable way of staying on top of any parent, pupil or staff concerns is by means of a survey.