Dozens of Herts schools facing inspectors under new rules

From September, Ofsted will resume inspecting schools across the country and for the first time in almost a decade, those deemed outstanding will also face compulsory routine visits.

Figures from the education watchdog, covering 484 of Hertfordshire's primary and secondary schools, show that 109 received an outstanding rating the last time they were inspected.

Under rules introduced in 2012, those schools became exempt from being routinely reinspected and only faced scrutiny if concerns were raised about their performance.

The exemptions were introduced by the then Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition Government to give outstanding schools more freedom.

But the guidelines mean many schools across England have gone years without being visited by inspectors as a result.

According to the latest Ofsted figures, the outstanding educational facilities in Hertfordshire include 84 primary schools and 25 secondary schools.

The coronavirus pandemic saw the organisation suspend all routine inspections, but in line with the lifting of restrictions across the country, inspectors will begin their visits again in September.

The move to remove exemptions for outstanding schools, announced by the Department for Education in October, was welcomed by the Association of School and College Leaders, while the National Education Union said outstanding schools should never have been treated differently.

Geoff Barton from ASCL said the exemptions had been well-intentioned with built-in safeguards but had resulted in parents going too long without the “verification of an inspection”.

He added: “It is time to reverse the policy."

Ofsted's Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman said: “We had long called for the exemption for outstanding schools to be lifted.

"I am very pleased that all schools will now be inspected routinely once our full inspection programme restarts this autumn. This is what parents expect and children deserve.

“This change will reassure parents and ensure that the outstanding judgement itself remains a genuine beacon of excellence.”

All formerly exempt schools must be inspected within the next five years and Ofsted will prioritise schools that have gone the longest without an inspection.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said the inspections would help to drive up standards, increase parent choice and contribute to the building of a stronger school system that can better serve pupils and their families.

But Dr Mary Bousted from the NEU warned that the relaunch of inspections coupled with the on-going pandemic could cause disruption at a time when "the priority of leaders, staff and pupils must surely be education recovery."

She said: "This work is immediately diminished by inspections which are always disruptive, causing enormous stress on beleaguered staff and taking time away from what really matters."

In some cases, such as where a facility has recently transformed into an academy, the latest inspection outcome may refer to the current school's predecessor, Ofsted said.

Below schools identified by Ofsted and facing reinspection in Hertfordshire

• Abel Smith School
• Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery
• Applecroft School, Aston St Mary's Church of England
• Aided Primary School, Beaumont School
• Bernards Heath Junior School
• Bishop's Hatfield Girls' School
• Bournehall Primary School
• Bovingdon Primary Academy
• Brockswood Primary School
• Broxbourne CofE Primary School
• Bushey Heath Primary School
• Cassiobury Infant and Nursery School
• Cassiobury Junior School
• Chater Junior School
• Chorleywood Primary School
•  Christ Church Chorleywood
• CofE School, Codicote
• Church of England Primary School
• Countess Anne Church of England School
• Crabtree Infants' School
• Crabtree Junior School
• Cunningham Hill Infant School
• Cunningham Hill Junior School
• Dame Alice Owen's School
• Fawbert and Barnard Infants' School
• Field Junior School
•  Flamstead End School
• Fleetville Infant and Nursery School
• Fleetville Junior School, Goldfield Infants' and Nursery School
• Harvey Road Primary School
• Hatfield Community Free School
• High Beeches Primary School
• Hitchin Boys' School
• Hitchin Girls' School
• Hockerill Anglo-European College
• Holy Rood Catholic Primary School
• Howe Dell Primary School
• Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School
• Icknield Walk First School
• Jenyns First School and Nursery
• Kingshill Infant School
• Layston Church of England First School
• Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School,
• Leventhorpe
• Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
• Longlands Primary School and Nursery
• Loreto College
• Malvern Way Infant and Nursery School
• Mandeville Primary School
• Maple Primary School
• Merry Hill Infant School and Nursery
• Millfield First and Nursery School
• Nascot Wood Infant and Nursery School
• Nascot Wood Junior School
• Northgate Primary School
• Oakwood Primary School
• Parkgate Junior School
• Parmiter's School
• Presdales School
• Redbourn Primary School
• Roger De Clare First CofE School
• Round Diamond Primary School
• Roundwood Park School
• Roundwood Primary School
• Saint Michael's Catholic High School
• Samuel Lucas Junior Mixed and Infant School
• Sandringham School, Sheredes Primary School
• Simon Balle All-Through School
• Sir John Lawes School
• Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
• St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery
• St Albans Girls' School
• St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
• St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
• St Bartholomew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
• St Clement Danes School
• St Dominic Catholic Primary School
• St George's School
• St John's Church of England Infant and Nursery School
• St Joseph Catholic Primary School
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
• St Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Primary School
• St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School
• St Mary's Catholic School
• St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School
• St Thomas More Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School
• St Thomas of Canterbury Roman Catholic Primary School
• Templewood Primary School
• The Bishop's Stortford High School
• The Chauncy School
• The Grove Infant and Nursery School
• The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College
• The Wroxham School, Therfield First School
• Two Waters Primary School
• Victoria Church of England Infant and Nursery School
• Watford Grammar School for Boys
• Watford Grammar School for Girls
• Welwyn St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
• Westfield Primary School and Nursery
• Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School
• William Ransom Primary School
• Windhill21
• Wood End School
• Woolenwick Infant and Nursery School
• Yavneh College
• Yavneh Primary School