Mathematics: Made to Measure
This Ofsted report is based predominantly on evidence from inspections of mathematics between January 2008 and July 2011 in maintained schools in England. Inspectors visited 160 primary and 160 secondary schools and observed more than 470 primary and 1,200 secondary mathematics lessons. The report draws attention to serious inequalities…
Standards in the Secondary Curriculum 1997/8: Design and Technology
This report, published by Ofsted in 1998, of a review of standards in design and technology teaching showed a positive picture with many improvements since the 1995 revision of the curriculum and programmes of study. Standards were found to be generally higher with improving standards to teaching and levels of attainment. The…
Computer-aided Design and Manufacture in Design and Technology
This case study from Ofsted shows how one secondary school integrated computer-aided design and manufacture (CAD/CAM) into their design and technology provision. At Ripley St Thomas Church of England school, students use professional standard software and manufacturing equipment confidently, developing exceptionally well advanced…
Raising Achievement in Design and Technology: Turnford School
This case study from Ofsted describes the development of an innovative and relevant design and technology curriculum at Turnford School, which has secured high levels of engagement and achievement. The department formed a partnership with Mindsets to help modernise what was previously a very traditional curriculum and to experiment…
High-quality Innovation in KS3 Design and Technology to Promote High Achievement
This case study, produced by Ofsted, illustrates how Archbishop Holgate’s School has developed its design and technology curriculum to provide a high quality and unique learning experience for students at Key Stage Three. The study details some of the activities and projects undertaken by each year group and how technology…
Education for a Technologically Advanced Nation: Design and Technology in Schools
This report evaluates design and technology provision based on a three-year evaluation of design and technology in primary and secondary schools. Evidence was drawn from school inspections during the period 2004–05 as well as from focused surveys by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) from 2004 to 2007. The surveys evaluated…
Meeting Technological Challenges?
This report draws upon evidence from design and technology (design and technology) subject survey visits by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) to primary and secondary schools between September 2007 and July 2010. The inspections evaluated how well the subject was meeting its National Curriculum aims and promoting high levels of…
Subject Professional Development Materials: Design and Technology
This resource from Ofsted is aimed at subject leaders to help improve teaching and learning by reflecting on the main messages from the design and technology report, Meeting Technological Challenges? The resource draws upon evidence from design and technology subject survey visits by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) to a range…
Standards in Public Examinations 1975 to 1995
This report, jointly published by the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA) and Ofsted under the chairmanship of Ron Dearing, presents the findings of an investigation into whether standards in GCSE and A level examinations were maintained in the period up to 1995. The improving examination grades during this period had…
Mathematics: Understanding the Score
This resource from Ofsted is a report published in September 2008, based principally on evidence from inspections of mathematics between April 2005 and December 2007 in 192 maintained schools in England. It describes how the best teaching is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and focused clearly on developing students' understanding…
Mathematics: Made to Measure
This resource from Ofsted, published in May 2012, is a full report and summary of the findings into the teaching of mathematics, based predominantly on evidence from inspections between January 2008 and July 2011 in maintained schools in England. Attention is drawn to serious inequalities in students’ experiences and achievements…
Good Practice in Primary Mathematics
This resource from Ofsted is a report and summary of the findings of the survey on good practice in primary mathematics teaching, which was conducted following a ministerial request for Ofsted to provide evidence on effective practice in the teaching of early arithmetic, published in November 2011. It focuses on identifying characteristics…
Tackling the Challenge of Low Numeracy Skills in Young People and Adults
This resource from Ofsted is a full report and summary of the findings, published in April 2011, which evaluates the quality of numeracy provision for young people and adults seen in visits between May and November 2010, to 59 providers including colleges, independent learning providers, local authority providers of adult and community…
Mathematics Survey Visits
This resource from Ofsted contains generic grade descriptors and supplementary subject-specific guidance in mathematics, drawn from the leadership and management section of the evaluation schedule for the inspection of schools and academies, January 2012. It is intended only to inform the judgements made by specialist inspectors…
Finnish Pupils' Success in Mathematics
This resource from Ofsted is a full report and summary of the findings from a visit, in September 2009, made by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors to educational establishments in Finland. Evidence was gathered from three schools and a university from each of three towns about the factors that contributed to Finnish students’…
5/5- Publication year: 2010 to date
- Teacher guidance
A Good Adult Numeracy Tutor
This resource from Ofsted accompanies the survey report Tackling the challenge of low numeracy skills in young people and adults, published in April 2011, and summarises the characteristics of good practice in adult numeracy tutors under the following headings: • Planning individualised learning • Teaching strategies…
Mathematics Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4
This is the fourth annual Ofsted report to assess the success of the implementation of the National Curriculum across all four key stages. The report is based upon a large number of visits by Her Majesty’s Inspectors to a variety of schools in the academic year 1992-93. The report highlights the areas of the curriculum which…
Design and Technology Characteristics of Good Practice in Secondary Schools 1995
Produced in 1995, this publication, written by Ofsted at the request of the Department for Education, identifies some characteristics of good practice in Design and Technology at Key Stages Three and Four, and was aimed at those who are responsible for planning, organising and teaching Design and Technology in secondary schools,…
Inspecting Subjects and Aspects 11-18 Design and Technology
This Ofsted publication is one in a series that gives guidance on inspection of subjects, in this case Design and Technology. Inspectors’ need to evaluate: • How high are the standards in design and technology, and are they high enough? • How well are students progressing? • How well is design and technology…
Inspecting Post-16 Design and Technology with Guidance on Self-Evaluation
This Ofsted publication is one in a series that gives guidance on inspection of subjects studied at post-16, in this case Design and Technology. It describes inspectors’ need to look at issues that are common to all subjects: • Standards and achievement • Teaching and learning • Other factors affecting quality •…
Science and Mathematics in Schools - a Review
This Ofsted publication describes factors affecting the low take-up of science and mathematics post-16 identified for the year 1992-93. These were: the status of science in our culture; the nature of science and mathematics as school subjects; the organisation of schools; the curriculum; science and mathematics teachers; factors…
Technology Key Stages 1, 2 and 3
This Oftsted publication takes a look at the state of technology in schools shortly after the implementation of the National curriculum. It provides commentary on teaching and learning; curriculum and organisation; assessment, recording and reporting; staffing and staff development; accommodation and resources. The work of Her…
Making a Success of Human Biology: the Sixth Form College Farnborough
This Ofsted document describes how the Sixth Form College Farnborough has re-introduced A-level human biology while ensuring that students are well aware of course requirements and are properly prepared for a challenging assessment regime. Providing good information about the course, a highly structured programme of study, and plenty…
Improving Science in Colleges
In spring 2011 Ofsted conducted a survey of good practice in science in general further education and sixth form colleges in England. Inspectors visited 15 college science departments to observe teaching and learning and evaluate the quality of provision and departmental leadership and management. This report identifies the factors…
Generic Grade Descriptors and Supplementary Subject
In January 2012 Ofsted implemented a new framework for inspection to be used by inspectors in the Section 5 inspection of schools and academies. At the same time Ofsted published supplementary subject-specific guidance for inspectors on making judgements during visits to schools. The supplementary guidance aligns with the generic…
Outstanding Curriculum Innovation in Science: City and Islington College
This report from Ofsted looks at City and Islington College which is one of the biggest national providers of science in further education. The college has developed a broad range of cutting-edge science provision and established itself as a regional centre of excellence for science. • The college has developed an extensive…
Promoting the Study of Science through Links with Schools: City and Islington College
This Ofsted resource looks at teachers from City and Islington College who stimulate the interest of school students in science and other STEM-related subjects, work in schools with teachers and students and invite them to the college. The college also hosts a careers convention where students meet working scientists and engineers…
Identifying Good Practice: a Survey of Post-16 Science in Colleges and Schools
This report from Ofsted represents the findings from a survey of post-16 science provision in 18 colleges and schools where provision had been judged to be good or outstanding at their previous inspection. Between October 2006 and April 2007 five schools, nine sixth form colleges, one tertiary college and three general further education…
Successful Science
This report from Ofsted draws on the results of visits by inspectors to 94 primary, 94 secondary schools and two special schools between June 2007 and March 2010. These schools were selected broadly to represent the profile of schools in England, but excluded schools in Ofsted’s categories of concern. It also draws on the outcomes…
Ofsted Subject Reports 2001-02: Secondary Science
This report from Ofsted is one of a series that were published annually in association with the Annual Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector. The report gives the main findings of Ofsted concerning the state of science education for students aged from 11-19. The evidence base, which the report is based upon, includes data…
Ofsted Subject Conference Report 2002-03: Science
This document from Ofsted was designed to provide the wider science education community with a summary of inspection findings for primary and secondary schools for the academic year 2003-2004. The report drew on the detailed data gathered by Section 10 Inspections and gave not only the current view but changes to achievement over…
Ofsted Subject Conference Report 2001-02: Science
This report from Ofsted is of a one day conference for representatives of LEA areas. The theme was good practice in science investigation and enquiry and how this important part of the primary science curriculum could be further enhanced. The report gives the inspection findings and summary of wider findings. The conference was…