The Overview and Scrutiny Ofsted Subgroup of Manchester Council is scheduled to consider recent inspection outcomes for schools and daycare providers across the city. The subgroup will also review its terms of reference and work programme.

Ofsted Inspections of Manchester Schools

The subgroup is scheduled to receive a list of Manchester schools that have undergone Ofsted inspections since the previous meeting, along with the judgements awarded. The meeting will also consider the main themes emerging from these inspections. The report pack indicates that since the last meeting, five new inspection reports have been published, all of which were voluntary inspections under a revised framework. These were conducted by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs), with an additional HMI overseeing the quality of each inspection. Five further inspections have been completed, but their reports are yet to be published. The initial inspections were of schools that felt they were in a strong position, suggesting that subsequent outcomes might present a more varied profile. No common themes for next steps were identified in the initial five reports. Schools that were strong were encouraged to maintain their current practices, while those receiving an 'expected' grade had a range of next steps related to curriculum delivery, assessment, wider curriculum content, attendance, staff knowledge and understanding of supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), and improving the quality of written work across all subjects.

Feedback from school leaders regarding the revised framework suggests a more collaborative inspection tone, with inspectors being receptive to requests and making adjustments. The shift away from a deep dive approach has reduced pressure on middle leaders, though senior leaders have experienced increased impact, and day-to-day operations have been challenging due to the number of staff involved in inspections, requiring careful logistical planning. Inspection of achievement and attendance areas has been heavily data-driven, with some school leaders finding it difficult to convey their specific context to inspectors. The Council has engaged with Ofsted to relay feedback from school leaders and express concerns that context may not have been sufficiently considered in some areas. The report suggests that securing an 'expected' grade is now more difficult than the previous 'good' judgement, and an 'exceptional' grade requires absolute consistency, embedded practice, and demonstrable impact across all subjects. Ofsted has released a video for parents to explain the new gradings, clarifying that 'needs attention' does not signify a failure and that the new framework's grades are not directly comparable to previous ones. The Council's team is encouraging schools to share this video with parents. Support for school leaders includes face-to-face training on the planning call and onsite activities, a webinar sharing lessons learned from the first wave of inspections, and inspection readiness meetings with priority schools. Feedback from headteachers is continuously gathered to escalate to Ofsted or support other schools. It is anticipated that a number of Manchester schools may be judged as 'needs attention' for attendance and attainment due to not meeting national averages, which could be frustrating for schools operating in more challenging contexts.

The report pack also notes that the Best Start in Life Local Plan is being developed to maximise take-up of early years provision, with an update to be provided to a future meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. Concerns have been raised that the 'exceptional' standard is higher than the previous 'outstanding' judgement and needs to be achievable for schools. Ofsted has stated that an 'exceptional' judgement requires a school to deliver 'transformational' outcomes for young people.

Ofsted Inspections of Daycare Providers

The subgroup is also scheduled to receive a list of daycare providers in Manchester that have been inspected since the last meeting, along with their awarded judgements. The main themes arising from these inspections will also be considered. The report indicates that 96% of settings are currently judged as good or better, with two settings being less than good. One setting, Brighter Beginnings Fallowfield, was inspected under the new framework and received positive feedback. Common strengths identified across recent inspections include strong leadership and clear vision, positive relationships and behaviour, effective safeguarding cultures, high-quality staff interactions, strong partnerships with parents, and good support for inclusion and SEND. The only developmental focus noted in recent reports was for Brighter Beginnings Fallowfield, concerning sustaining and maximising impact.

Support for settings on the new Ofsted Framework includes workshops, visits, and Ofsted's Early Years Inspection Toolkit. Learning from inspections is shared through the Development Forum, with recent topics including the focus on attendance in the new framework. Other ongoing work includes safer sleep training, baby room training, Flying Start training, leadership and governance workshops, and maths champion training. Out-of-school settings will receive a grade in the future, rather than 'met' or 'not met'.

Regarding childminders, a number have been inspected under the new framework, with two reports published so far, which have been generally positive, although the inspection process can feel intense for individual childminders. It is suggested that the subgroup consider childminder inspection reports at its next meeting. Questions have been raised about how Ofsted will judge attendance for children not of statutory school age. Settings contact families if children do not attend, partly for safeguarding and partly to encourage attendance, foster cultural change, and support school readiness. Attendance below 70% can be a cause for concern, compared to 90% in schools, with no enforcement measures in early years. Ofsted will also examine how settings promote punctuality, though some settings do not have a set start time. Some settings have experienced issues with working parents sending sick children.

Regarding the 'exceptional' standard for daycare providers, Ofsted has not provided specific feedback on how a setting can move from a 'strong standard' to 'exceptional'. It is understood that 'exceptional' settings are world-class, have sustained this standard over several years, and represent a tiny proportion of all settings. This has led to expressions of dissatisfaction, with plans to discuss the matter with the Director of Education and raise it with Ministers.

Terms of Reference and Work Programme

The subgroup is scheduled to review its Terms of Reference and Work Programme.

The attendees for this meeting are Councillor Alex-Salik Imran, Councillor Richard Fletcher, Councillor Jill Lovecy (Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester), Councillor Sherita Mandongwe, Councillor Sarah Wakefield (Chair of Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee), and Dr Zainab Bibi.

The meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, 22 July 2026, at 12:00 pm in the Council Antechamber, Level 2, Town Hall Extension.

Further information about the meeting can be obtained from Rachel McKeon, Committee Officer, by telephone on 0161 234 4497 or by email at rachel.mckeon@manchester.gov.uk.

The relevant documents for this meeting are the Public reports pack 22nd-Jul-2026 12.00 Overview and Scrutiny Ofsted Subgroup.pdf and the Agenda frontsheet 22nd-Jul-2026 12.00 Overview and Scrutiny Ofsted Subgroup.pdf.