Welcome to SAfE’s latest Ofsted tracker, highlights and insights

A well-planned inclusive curriculum which recognises the diverse needs of pupils is a core basis within every school. Senior Leaders should ensure that their curriculum is ambitious and providing pupils with the knowledge, skills and dispositions they need to thrive in the 21^st century, irrespective of their social and cultural backgrounds, SEND need or other circumstances. It is a curriculum which will provide children with the cultural capital that they need to be able to access future opportunities.

Developing oracy and improving reading skills are essential to support pupils in being successful. Reading is a critical life skill and children who leave primary school unable to read are disadvantaged. A clear strategy for developing oracy through strategies such as teachers ‘live’ modelling and a whole school methodology for teaching vocabulary will support this. For schools with Early Years settings recognising the gaps which can exist in pupils’ exposure to language and acting on this has been shown as a successful way of preparing pupils for success in school. The NELI programme has been successfully used in schools for this.

A well planned professional development opportunities will support the teaching team through developing their understanding of the needs of your pupils and potential barriers to learning. Identifying the skills and knowledge needed to achieve high quality classroom practice to remove these barriers can foster the development of a professional curiosity and potentially change mindsets – a deeper understanding of inequalities is likely to contribute effectively towards achieving educational equity. Planning out training on inclusive teaching strategies, unconscious bias and making links with other settings who are further along the equity journey can further support this.

Achieving high quality teaching is a focus for many schools – to support educational equity leaders should think carefully through how teachers are organised – placing the most effective teachers with the cohorts with the greatest needs, is a strong component of ensuring pupils are supported to achieve their best. We know that what happens in the classroom is the single biggest influence on pupil progress. When delivered inclusively, teaching can have the biggest impact of all on pupils facing the steepest barriers outside of school. Whilst recognising that there are factors which schools cannot change i.e. a lack of a quiet space at home to study or a secondary age pupil having to work part time, this does not stop teachers building a positive classroom environment and therefore, from identifying gaps in pupil knowledge and supporting them so that they make progress in lessons.

Governors have the opportunity to play a crucial role in strategic planning for educational equity through ensuring that equality a diversity are integral parts of a schools culture and vision. Working with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, a knowledgeable Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) link governor can ask probing questions. Governors also need to ensure that equality information is published on the school website. Involving governors in training on educational equity provides further strength to this.

This is a vitally important part of developing a culture of educational equity. Throughout a pupil’s educational journey, a teacher’s understanding of pupils’ barriers to learning can be supported by regular communication both with parents/carers and pupils themselves. It is important to remember that each pupil can face a unique set of barriers to successful learning, some are immediately evident whilst others are not. Barriers can be material, cultural, educational or health related. Often schools who are successful in improving attendance for specific families have thought through carefully the communication to parents/carers.