Ofsted blocking the release of inspection notes when schools have fared badly –even after reports have been published

Ofsted is facing accusations of a lack of transparency over the evidence it uses to inform inspection judgements –as it controversially blocks the release of background documents in some cases even after reports have been published.

In recent years the inspectorate has been willing to release background evidence, including inspectors’ notes, to schools and members of the public who ask for this under freedom of information, following the publication of a report on a school.

However, Education Uncovered has now seen detailed evidence that Ofsted is withholding such information in cases where schools have either being adjudged inadequate, or had two successive “requires improvement” verdicts, while they face post-inspection monitoring visits from the inspectorate.

The stance stands to limit the information available on thousands of schools during the period of Ofsted’s monitoring activity, which can last for years.

The inspectorate has faced a challenge from three schools in the past six months, asking for the release of such information – only for, in two cases, the Information Commissioner to side with Ofsted in its argument that to do so would “prejudice” inspectors’ ingoing work with schools. In the third, the case has yet to reach the commissioner.

The detail