Ofsted: academies not teaching a national curriculum subject will not necessarily have it disclosed in inspection reports

How could an Ofsted inspector visit a school which was not teaching a national curriculum subject and fail to report this, for the benefit of parents?

The question arises as part of this website’s ongoing investigation into Future Academies, which has uncovered evidence that information technology has not been taught at any of the chain’s three primary schools for at least 22 months.

And yet Ofsted visited one of the trust’s primaries in Westminster, central London, Churchill Gardens, without documenting or discussing this fact in its report. Future was set up by Lord Nash, the Conservative peer, former minister and party donor, who remains its chair, and his wife Lady Caroline Nash, who has been heavily involved in its curriculum.

The case reveals Ofsted’s position that, where academies choose to depart from the national curriculum, inspectors will discuss this with the school. But even academies not offering a national curriculum subject to pupils will not necessarily find this disclosed in inspection reports. This is despite the inspectorate’s much-stated current emphasis on the curriculum.

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