The STAR Multi Academy Trust is located in North Yorkshire, and is made up of eleven schools (nine primary and two secondary), which range from one with a roll of 50 pupils to another serving 1500. Last year (2022) the trust received eight Ofsted inspections in quick succession, one in the penultimate week of the Summer term, and then seven in the Autumn term. The trust is led by Ian Yapp, who, in this article, shares his experiences and learning from the succession of inspections, in the hope that other trust leaders may benefit.
What is the overall approach of the STAR Multi Academy Trust to preparing your schools for Ofsted visits, and how does this align with the trust’s broader goals and values?
First and foremost our work as a trust is completely focused on continually supporting our schools to be as effective as they can be, and delivering on the trust’s mission, vision and values. Fundamentally, the work we do is not about Ofsted, but is centred on providing the best educational experience possible for our children and young people, with a strong emphasis on areas such as curriculum, school improvement, wellbeing, and governance etc. Therefore, our being ready for Ofsted visits as a trust, for the most part, comes about as a by-product of this continued work.
However, we are also not naïve, and we know that as a trust we can help and support our schools to feel better prepared for inspection; so while our goal as a trust is never specifically about preparing for Ofsted visits, we do acknowledge the importance of supporting our headteachers, staff, and governors throughout the inspection process.
Our support systems for inspections had to evolve quickly last year in the face of receiving eight inspections in succession, and we developed a combination of standardised support, which we provide to all schools across the trust during an inspection, and also bespoke, tailored support for the individual school being inspected.
