The draft consultation includes proposals to withhold publication of reports until formal complaints from providers have been dealt with.
Currently providers have to submit formal complaints within 10 days of an issue of concern, but Ofsted does not normally withhold publication of reports while it considers them.
According to the consultation documents, ‘So that the publication of a report is not overly delayed, if an inspected provider wants to raise a formal complaint, they will need to submit this within two working days of them being issued with their final report. If an inspected provider submits a formal complaint within this period, we will withhold publication of the inspection report until we have considered and responded to the complaint’.
The consultation also proposes that providers will see their inspection report within 18 days of the end of their inspection as part of efforts to improve consistency.
The extension comes weeks after Ofsted announced it would be suspending all inspections, with the exception of those involving safeguarding concerns, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Launched on 3 March, was due to end this week but has been extended until 30 April. A report on the findings of the consultation is expected in May, with reforms being introduced from September.
