Are Ofsted Deep Dives still happening in 2024?
This is a question we are seeing coming up a lot while interacting with subject leaders and senior leaders alike. It appears that there is some confusion over the future of deep dives, and what that means for the academic year ahead. In this blog, we'll dispell some of the myths and rumours circulating, and stick to simple facts.
Are deep dives gone for good?
The short and simple answer is no.
The more detailed answer is that it depends on the type of inspection your school receives, which they will not have certainty about until that Ofsted phone call comes through.
Deep dives will remain in place for all graded inspections. These are inspections where a grading will be given for each of the four judgement areas.
However, from September 2024, Ofsted has confirmed that ungraded inspections will no longer include subject deep dives. The inspection framework will not change, but inspectors will typically use “extended learning walks to consider the impact of the curriculum and pupils’ personal development” instead of deep dives. This means that Ofsted will continue to look at the quality of education, alongside behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management in ungraded inspections - they just won't grade the individual areas and deep dives as we know them will not take place as part of the inspectors evidence gathering process into the quality of education.
This can feel confusing. Will we or won't we be deep dived as part of our next Ofsted inspection? It's estimated that 40% of schools due to be inspected this year will receive an ungraded inspection, and therefore not undertake the routine deep dive process for selected subject areas. Of course, this still means that the majority of schools being inspected will still be required to participate in deep dives as part of the graded inspections taking place.
How can I know for sure that I won't be deep dived?
Keeping the answer simple again, you can't be sure.
This is because although it may look like your school is due to receive an ungraded inspection, Ofsted utilise a risk assessment process for determining the type and order of inspections. This will mean that some schools previously graded as "good" or "outstanding", who are anticipating an ungraded inspection, will in fact receive a graded one due to factors identified as part of the risk assessment.
What we can be more sure about is which schools will be deep dived, regardless of their size.
These include:
- Schools that are currently graded as inadequate
- Schools that are currently graded as requires improvement
- Schools that were graded as outstanding before July 2015
- Good or outstanding schools that have received an ungraded inspection which recommends that the next inspection is a full, graded one - if this applies to your school, the first paragraph of your latest inspection report will state this.
You can read more detail about this here.
What does this mean for me as a subject leader?
As a subject leader, your focus will be on your subject area rather than the type of inspection your school will receive. Even if your school is due to receive an ungraded inspection, and this is what takes place, it's likely you'll be part of some of the conversations centring around where the subject area has improved with time to discuss where there is still work to do, although this will be "less intensive" than the full deep dive process.
With this in mind, and considering the possibility that your school may still face a graded inspection, it's important to consistently monitor your subject area. One effective approach is conducting internal deep dives, which give subject leaders the opportunity to thoroughly assess the strengths and weaknesses of the subject and strategically plan for further improvement. As part of this process, you will discuss your subject area with senior leaders and other staff members, which is helpful preparation for any professional conversations you may have with Ofsted.
If an internal deep dive feels like the right pathway for you, we've got supportive packs, including deep dive questions in the style used by inspectors for every subject area.
In addition, you may find it helpful to keep a subject leader folder so you can keep track of all of the key documentation you may need to have ready when the call does come through. This will be helpful during both a deep dive during a graded inspection and the professional subject-focused conversation with inspectors during an ungraded inspection.
We understand how daunting the idea of a deep dive can be, and how tempting it may feel to avoid one. However, we hope this blog helps to clear up any misconceptions and provide clarity, so you can feel fully prepared and confident, no matter what happens during those one or two inspection days.
