The news of a surprise Ofsted inspection will most likely result in a stomach drop for any senior leadership team. For some, the pressure has increased with the recent launch of Ofsted’s inspection framework, and all have felt the pressure due to the past 18 months of disjointed teaching and learning.
The new framework now “focus[es] on the real substance of education: the curriculum” (September 2019, updated July 2021).
In this blog, we’ll look at how EdTech has risen during the pandemic to meet the challenges of the Ofsted inspection framework and the key attributes to look out for when choosing a solution for your school.
The Rise of EdTech
The pandemic has highlighted many inconsistencies in the provision of online education. As a result, educators find themselves in a maze where students are easily left unsupported, and staff are overworked and overstretched.
Schools are now looking towards EdTech to help them bridge the gaps that the pandemic has heightened. New pedagogic approaches offered by technologies are undoubtedly playing an ever more important role in helping educators to deliver quality education, the kind of education that will equip learners for future jobs.
School leaders have to ensure that the resources they use meet the needs of their students whilst also making a positive and measurable contribution to their self-evaluation, school improvement plans, and preparation for Ofsted inspections.
Ofsted inspections place a high level of stress on schools, staff and pupils alike due to the impact on the schools’ future the final grading will have. So whilst Ofsted inspections help ensure students across the nation continue to receive high education standards, they come with their own set of pressures and workload.
As an SLT looking to incorporate education technology into their classrooms, how do you ensure that you have made the right choice in choosing the Edtech for your school?
EdTech Checklist for Ofsted’s Inspection Framework
When a market like EdTech booms, it creates a rush of startups that flood the market with their next big digital solution. We’re sure, like other teachers and leaders in education, your inbox is full of emails letting you know about the next big classroom resource. With so many companies singing from the same hymn sheet, how do you decide which one to choose?
It takes time to set up and test any EdTech solution and making the wrong choice can put a strain on staff and risk student progress.
Staff are busy enough without constantly testing new solutions in their classrooms, so how do you choose the right classroom resource?
Not to fear! We’ve listed some key takeaways from the latest framework that you need to consider when choosing an EdTech solution for your teachers, students and eventually, the all-important Ofsted inspection framework.
1. Reduces Teacher Workload
“The textbooks and other teaching materials that teachers select – in a way that does not create an unnecessary workload for staff – reflect the school’s ambitious intentions for the course of study.” – Ofsted 2021
There are a few ways in which EdTech can save your teachers valuable time which can be spent supporting the needs of the students instead of planning and developing material.
- Automatic marking and feedback features will reduce admin workload
- Embedded teaching materials with clear learning objectives will save time developing material
3. Proper Use of Assessment
“Teachers and leaders use assessment well. For example, they use it to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently, or to check understanding and inform teaching, or to understand different starting points and gaps as a result of the pandemic.” – Ofsted 2021
A robust and continuous assessment process is one of the most important features of any EdTech platform. When selecting yours make sure it includes the following;
- Regular formative assessment and a summative assessment to check understanding and inform teaching
- Embedded into the platform to not create any extra workload for staff
- Provides teachers and leaders with immediate information and data on every student’s performance and engagement as well as their key strengths and areas for development and improvement
2. Curriculum Mapped Resources
“The work given to pupils, over time and across the school, consistently matches the aims of the curriculum.” – Ofsted 2021
It’s incredibly important that any EdTech you choose has mapped its material to meet curriculum requirements and is aligned to the National Curriculum and specific exam boards.
- Full courses of study mapped to the National Curriculum
- Ensure all learning is scaffolded based on sound pedagogy
- All lessons are mapped by core skills and SOLO taxonomy
- All materials are adaptive to the student’s performance and ability
4. Remote Learning
“Remote education is well integrated within course(s) of study, and is well designed to support the wider implementation of the school’s curriculum” – Ofsted 2021
Mostly all platforms born of the pandemic will offer remote learning features, but there are a few points to check when enquiring.
- EdTech systems should be built to be accessed remotely, with the teacher in control of what the students do
- Make sure it measures the students’ attendance, engagement and achievement to allow monitoring of remote education
GoLearn’s Complete Solution
Here at GoLearn, we believe that our technology can support educators in delivering the quality Ofsted hopes to see and the quality your students deserve to receive.
To show you exactly how our platform can help support Senior Leadership teams, we’ve created a document mapping out the critical points of the Ofsted Inspection framework to show how our platform can help you achieve a higher quality of education.
GoLearn is a pioneer in supporting teachers and school leaders in effectively addressing gaps in learning accentuated by the pandemic.
We’re an online learning company for educators and school leaders who want to deliver positive literacy outcomes in the changing world of education.
GoLearn’s platform is a marriage of unique pedagogic content designed by experts with cutting-edge advanced technology (AI). It provides reliable and continuous evidence that helps build confidence and raise self-esteem while motivating and enhancing learning, thus enabling teachers and school leaders to make the right decisions quickly and improve well-being.
In the current context, closing the gaps created since March 2020 is a complicated task. But we are ready and able to help you do just that.
Click the button below to download our resource and see how GoLearn can help ease the pressures of your next inspection.
Ready to improve student outcomes?
Get in touch, or request a demo.