In a bold move that could reshape the educational landscape, Ofsted’s new chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has put schools on notice: inclusion must be a top priority, and turning away “difficult” pupils is no longer acceptable. Speaking to school leaders at the Confederation of School Trusts (CST) conference in Birmingham, Oliver made it clear that schools will be evaluated on how well they serve all local children starting next year.
“First and foremost, schools must meet the needs of all their local children,” Oliver stressed. “It really shouldn’t be the case that local children have to fit into the needs of their school.” This shift in focus comes as part of broader reforms to Ofsted inspections, which will introduce report-card style evaluations emphasizing inclusion alongside behavior and attendance.
A Holistic Approach to Inclusion
Oliver’s vision for inclusive education goes beyond simply accommodating students with special needs or economic disadvantages. As he explained to reporters, schools must work to “match the needs and provision of children, especially children with special educational needs, or who are finding learning difficult, or are economically disadvantaged, or are vulnerable, whatever is their characteristic.”
But inclusion isn’t just about struggling students – it’s also about ensuring that high-performing pupils are sufficiently challenged and engaged. “Making sure that schools are delivering for the local communities holistically,” as Oliver put it. This means schools can no longer cherry-pick the easiest to educate in hopes of boosting exam results and Ofsted ratings.
Cracking Down on Restrictive Admissions
Under the new inspection regime, schools that deliberately restrict admissions or turn away certain pupils are likely to see their Ofsted grades suffer. “What we don’t want to see is schools turning children away because of Ofsted, because they get this sense that these might be difficult children, and they can’t be educated here or that might bring our school down,” Oliver said bluntly.
“We want to make sure that Ofsted plays its part, to recognise that schools have difficult work to provide for children, and that’s why I want to look at more than just raw data.”
– Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted Chief Inspector
Balancing Discipline and Flexibility
While stressing that exclusions and suspensions can be used when appropriate, Oliver called for school behavior policies to be more flexible and better tailored to individual pupils’ needs. When students are removed from mainstream classrooms, schools must provide “high-quality” alternative provision to keep them on track.
“We don’t mean that we will penalise schools that use suspensions and exclusions legitimately,” he clarified. “But we will want to know that the highest standards are in place to make sure all children are receiving the most appropriate provision.” This means closely examining suspension and expulsion patterns for signs that certain groups are being disproportionately impacted.
Pushback from School Leaders
Oliver’s tough stance on inclusion comes at a tense time for Ofsted, which has weathered criticism from educators and a coroner’s rebuke following the tragic suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry. Some school leaders have become “adversarial” in their dealings with Ofsted inspectors, Oliver noted, pleading for calmer interactions going forward.
“Inspections won’t work as we all want them to, if they run ‘hot’. I really want to take the temperature down.”
– Sir Martyn Oliver, Ofsted Chief Inspector
While few would argue against the merits of inclusion, the path to achieving it is fraught with practical hurdles and passionate debate. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, called on Ofsted and the Department for Education to clearly define what they mean by “inspecting inclusion” and to recognize the barriers many schools face in the current system.
“The change needed to build more inclusive schools cannot happen overnight and needs investment in staffing, training, access to specialist services and a curriculum and assessment system fit for purpose.”
– Daniel Kebede, National Education Union General Secretary
Whether Ofsted’s new inclusion mandate will spur meaningful change or simply add to the pressure on already-strained schools remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the question of how to best educate and include all children, regardless of background or ability, has never been more urgent or more fiercely contested. As the nation’s schools prepare for a new era of accountability, the stakes for getting inclusion right have never been higher.
