Ofsted challenged over children’s role

MPs have questioned Ofsted’s suitability to inspect children’s social care.

Members of the education select committee said the schools inspectorate did not appear to take children’s views into account to the same extent as the Commission for Social Care Inspection, whose children’s functions will be subsumed by Ofsted under government plans.

Liberal Democrat committee member Stephen Williams said CSCI evidence to the committee suggested it had a “different ethos” to Ofsted.

He pointed to the example of the CSCI taking children out for a pizza to find out their views.

But David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, said Ofsted drew heavily on young people’s experiences in its inspections of Connexions and youth services. “I would be all for taking people out to pizza restaurants,” he added.