Ofsted's Framework for inspecting schools (2003) has a rigorous focus on the inclusivity of schools and how they meet the needs of individual pupils, including international new arrivals.

Inspectors need to know:

• the level of pupil mobility
• the profile of pupils, particularly the identity and proportion of minority ethnic groups represented in the school, including pupils from refugee and gypsy or traveller families
• the number of pupils for whom English is an additional language and who are at an early stage of learning English.

Inspectors evaluate how teachers promote equality of opportunity by finding out if:

• all pupils are treated with respect and their contributions are valued and encouraged
• teaching methods and resources are without bias, free from stereotyping, and are properly matched to meeting the needs of all pupils
• sensitivity is shown to pupils' individual circumstances, beliefs and cultures in the way questions are asked or ideas promoted.

Induction arrangements for pupils are evaluated for their effectiveness, including for pupils arriving during term-time. Where a school has recently admitted a large number of pupils inspectors will judge how well they have settled in and if their particular needs are met.

The inclusivity of the curriculum is evaluated by judging:

• how equality of access and opportunity for all pupils is ensured
• whether the curriculum takes enough account of pupils' cultural and religious beliefs, diverse ethnic backgrounds, special educational needs, disabilities and particular gifts or talents
• whether planning and teaching take account of the language and learning needs of pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL).

Inspectors also ascertain how a school will seek, value and act upon pupils' views and how well it works in partnership with parents, other schools and the community. This includes a school's efforts to seek the views of, and to involve, those parents who are normally hard to reach.

Further Ofsted guidance

The Ofsted report The education of asylum-seeker pupils (Ofsted, 2003) is covered in more detail in the 'Teaching refugees and asylum seekers' area of this site.

Managing pupil mobility (Ofsted, 2002) details effective steps taken by schools to help manage high mobility levels, including:

• quickly forging good relationships with parents and carers and dealing effectively with issues of immediate concern
• giving new pupils information packs, prompt induction and explanations of school routines
• quickly obtaining information on attainment from pupils' previous schools and promptly disseminating this, together with the outcome of assessments of new pupils on arrival, to their new teachers
• placing new pupils in appropriate teaching groups, taking account of the subject options secondary school pupils have taken at their previous schools
• preparing existing pupils for the new arrivals
• discussing schemes of work with new pupils to establish their familiarity with the work and establishing what needs to be done to fill any gaps in knowledge.

Provision for new arrival should be developed and reviewed as part of the school's self-evaluation policy.

Useful weblinks

Please note: QCA is not responsible for the content of external sites

Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted)
Ofsted produces many useful publications, including Handbook for inspecting nursery and primary schools, Handbook for inspecting secondary schools, Handbook for inspecting special schools and pupil referral units, Inspecting schools: framework for inspecting schools, Managing pupil mobility and The education of asylum-seeker pupils.

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