Message from Ofsted | COVID19
All routine Ofsted inspections will now be put on hold, Schools Week can reveal.
The watchdog has halted inspections following prime minister Boris Johnson’s announcement earlier today to scale up coronavirus prevention measures.
An Ofsted spokesperson told Schools Week they are “putting a hold on all this week’s routine inspections of schools, social care, early years and further education providers.
“We are in discussions with the DfE about the longer-term picture.”
Ofsted had come under fire for not halting inspections sooner. However, on Friday evening the watchdog said it would talk to schools before deciding whether to they had “exceptional circumstances” that warranted a deferral.
It was then clarified on Saturday that the chief inspection Amanda Spielman would personally sign off on any decisions not to defer.
However Ofsted has put all inspections on hold following the government’s announcement this evening to urge further measures to stop the virus spreading, such as social distancing.