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25 O F S T E D teachwire.net/secondary ABOUT THE AUTHOR Danny Cuttell is head of curriculum services at Pearson UK, which has recently created a multi-part ‘Handy Guide to Ofsted’s Inspection Framework’ – to download yours, and to find out more about Pearson’s curriculum work, visit go.pearson.com/curriculum “Pupils and their workwill be muchmore in the spotlight” SEPTEMBER Develop your vision Following your summer audit as an SLT, use the start of the new academic year to consult with your whole staff, students and governors.The newOfsted inspections focus more onmiddle leaders and teachers than ever before, somake sure all members of staff have a shared understanding of your curriculumplanning and delivery, and the choices made in terms of what’s taught and when. Highlight any areas you need to look at inmore detail, and use these as the basis for an ongoing review of your curriculum. How willing are you to adapt your curriculum, and what will drive those changes? OCTOBER Prepare for ‘The Call’ The 90-minute phone call fromOfsted that ushers in an inspection will explore the progress the school has made since its last inspection, and the headteacher’s view of what the school’s strengths and areas for development are – particularly in relation to the curriculum. The call will also involve a discussion concerning which specific subjects and year groups will be the focus of the inspection. Feedback from some of Ofsted’s pilot inspections has indicated that there’s some scope for school leaders to negotiate and influence the choice of subjects, though be aware that this may vary on a case- by-case basis. NOVEMBER Examine wellbeing Teaching staff report the highest rates of work- related stress, depression and anxiety in Britain. It’s therefore no surprise that Ofsted have included ‘behaviour and attitudes’ as a separate judgement area within the EIF. Reviewyour staff wellbeing forms, and be sure to familiarise yourself with the DfE’s guidance on reducing workload in the areas ofmarking, administrative tasks and lesson data (see bit.ly/ dfe-workload). DECEMBER Recuperate As the year draws to a close, take time to reflect on the work achieved by your school team. Use the downtime over the festive period to relax and recuperate. 2021 will no doubt bring its own challenges, but with a year of consistent and comprehensive planning behind you,you’ll be ready to continue driving your curriculum forward.