The Inspector of Schools: Quality Assurance is a book by Ben D. Odhiambo, a Kenyan educationalist with over thirty-three years experience in all matters education. Having served as a school teacher, a teacher trainer, an inspector of schools, an educational administrator, an education publisher amongst many other varied roles, the author is uniquely placed in his outlook in what makes a successful inspector of schools. It is this distilled wisdom in the form of theory on matters pertaining to the inspection of schools and backed by solid experience on the ground that he has shared with us this book. The book is not only relevant to the aspiring or practicing inspector of schools, but to a host of other stakeholders in the education sector including teachers, administrators, parents, governmental officials and employers.

First Published in 1998. This is Volume XX of twenty-eight in the Sociology of Education series. This book seeks to portray the growth of inspection in England, in a framework of its relations with teaching on the one hand, with administration on the other. It traces the history of inspection in the organisation of schools from its beginnings, examines the position of inspectors and the work of inspection, and identifies the difference between the functions of Her Majesty's Inspectors and those of the inspectors to a local education authority

The remit of the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) is to improve standards and quality of childcare and education for learners up to 19 years of age through regular inspection, some of which is carried out jointly with other inspectorates. This annual report covers the year 2004-05 and includes sections on childcare and early learning; primary and maintained nursery schools; secondary schools; special schools; pupil referral units; further education colleges; initial teacher training; local education authorities. Also included is a section on surveys and themes examining national education strategies in schools in different areas. A final section takes a retrospective view on inspection and the contribution OFSTED has made to education over the past 13 years. An accompanying CD-ROM includes detailed reports on subjects in schools and curriculum areas in colleges.

This book examines the role of the inspector within the context of a number of OECD member states and explores the ways in which the inspectors themselves interpret, implement and influence inspection practices and policy. Inspection policy can have various unintended consequences, some of which produce radical discrepancies between the policy intent and its implementation. A number of these discrepancies derive from the way in which the policy is articulated while others derive from the ways in which inspectors interpret and operationalise this policy. This implementation is coloured and conditioned by several factors, including the evidence on which inspectors base their judgements; what counts as evidence in different policy contexts; what counts as valid knowledge in inspection processes; the qualities needed by inspectors working in differing policy contexts and the identities that they adopt in order to successfully carry out their work. The book provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of the politics and practices which colour and shape the legitimacy and operational execution of inspection policy. The work is unique in its focus on the inspectors’ role within the implementation of the inspection process— an element often overlooked in the literature. It also includes two chapters co-written by inspectors, offering unique insights into their life worlds and identities.

This book provides an overview and discussion of the evidence base of effective school inspections; reflecting on issues of validity and reliability of school inspections in relation to school effectiveness research, unintended consequences and emergent roles and responsibilities of Inspectorates of Education. Chapters include findings from systematic literature reviews and primary research while also presenting a range of practical examples from inspections systems from all over the world. The book provides relevant background materials for Inspectorates of Education who aim to improve the effectiveness of their systems and working methods, as well as clear examples for researchers aiming to analyse and understand the effectiveness of these systems. The final chapter reflects on changes in the current education landscape and discusses newer models of school inspections that fit within a more decentralized inspection system.

This timely book examines what a meaningful school accountability system could look like in England. The book starts with a deep dive into our current inspection model, discussing some of the current pressures within the system, and comparing our inspection approach to that of other countries and sectors. It moves on to show how Ofsted and school inspections are perceived and portrayed - using first-hand accounts, academic papers, government publications, and media reports - and pulls together some of the current thinking on how the model could be improved. The author ends with her own proposals for a more meaningful and humane school accountability system. She suggests we rethink what we do, and how we do it, with a call for wide-ranging consultation leading to evidence-informed reform of the school inspection process.