Ofsted's Quality of Education Framework: How Edtech Can Support Schools

“It's 5 years since Ofsted shifted its focus towards a more holistic approach to evaluating schools” says Mark Barton, Tassomai’s Customer Facing Team Lead.

“The new framework introduced the Quality of Education judgement. It emphasised curriculum intent, implementation, and impact. This change prompted schools to reassess their teaching and learning methods. Since then, schools have explored new ways to enhance the learning experience. The parallel rise of edtech means that it has gained significant importance within this process.

Understanding the Quality of Education Framework

For readers who do not work in a school, it is useful to review the criteria lying behind Ofsted's Qualify of Education judgement. The framework evaluates schools based on three key areas: intent, implementation, and impact. It encourages schools to develop an ambitious, coherently planned, and successfully adapted curriculum. One designed for all student abilities.

The intent aspect focuses on the school's curriculum design, coverage, and appropriateness. Implementation considers how the curriculum is taught and assessed in practice. Impact evaluates the outcomes achieved and the progress made by Students. This encourages schools to not teach to the test. They should provide a well-rounded education that prepares students for future success.

The Role of Edtech in Supporting Schools

Educational technology offers many opportunities for schools to enhance their quality of education. One of the most significant benefits is the ability to provide personalised learning. The best edtech is adaptive to individual student needs. It provides tailored content and pacing to support differentiation. This aligns well with Ofsted's emphasis on curriculum adaptation for all students.

Many edtech platforms offer analytics. These help teachers identify areas where students struggle, enabling targeted interventions. This data-driven approach supports the implementation aspect of the framework. It allows teachers to adjust their methods based on real-time feedback. Edtech aids in demonstrating impact, as schools can track student progress more effectively.

There is huge potential for edtech to support student engagement too. Interactive and gamified digital resources can increase student engagement. This helps make complex concepts more accessible for students. Edtech can support curriculum implementation as it provides novel and fun learning experiences.

Assessment is a critical component of the education process, and edtech can make this more efficient. Automated marking and instant feedback can save teachers time and workload. It also provides students with immediate progress feedback. Ensuring students have timely and effective assessment supports curriculum implementation and impact.

Some edtech tools can help schools map their curriculum to national standards. This helps to ensure comprehensive content coverage. This clarifies curriculum intent by helping schools design and plan their curriculum effectively.

COVID-19 highlighted another valuable aspect of edtech, supporting remote and blended learning. Edtech can ensure alignment of teaching and learning between the classroom and home like never before.

Challenges and Considerations

While Edtech offers many benefits, it's not a panacea. So it's important to consider the challenges of edtech implementation. Firstly, the digital divide remains a significant issue. Not all students have equal access to technology at home. This digital divide can exacerbate existing inequalities. Schools must carefully manage this to ensure all students benefit from edtech initiatives.

Effective implementation of edtech requires adequate training and support for teachers. Without this, even sophisticated technology can fail to deliver its potential benefits. Schools must invest in edtech training. The best edtech firms should offer this support freely as part of the service. Teachers must be confident and competent with the technology.

There's also a risk of over-reliance on technology. Edtech enhances learning, but it should not come at the expense of other learning strategies. Schools must navigate the right balance between technology and more traditional teaching methods.

Data privacy is another crucial consideration. Schools must ensure that student data is protected and used ethically. This requires careful vetting of edtech providers and robust data protection policies.

Cost is always a factor in education. High-quality edtech solutions can be costly. Schools need to consider the return on investment. Good edtech companies will support them in doing this.

Finally, technical issues can disrupt learning. Unreliable internet connections or device malfunctions can be frustrating and counterproductive. Schools need to have robust IT support and contingency plans in place.

Spotlight on Tassomai

At Tassomai, our service supports schools with Ofsted's Quality of Education judgement. Our intelligent learning program uses an algorithm to create personalised quizzes for students. Our adaptive technology continually adapts to a student's individual needs and progress.

Tassomai supports the framework by offering comprehensive coverage of key subjects. This helps schools ensure their curriculum is broad and balanced (intent). It provides detailed analytics that inform teaching, and monitor student progress (implementation). Regular use of Tassomai leads to improved exam results. This allows schools to demonstrate and evidence a positive impact on student outcomes (impact).

Tassomai's approach to spaced repetition and retrieval practice aligns with cognitive science principles. These support effective learning and long-term retention of knowledge. This makes it a valuable tool for schools looking to enhance their teaching practices in line with Ofsted requirements.

In Summary

Edtech implemented thoughtfully can be a powerful tool in supporting schools. This includes supporting them in meeting Ofsted's Quality of Education framework criteria. Edtech such as Tassomai demonstrates how technology can help teachers in three main areas. It enhances curriculum delivery, supports personalised learning, and provides valuable insights to teachers.

Schools must fully consider the challenges and benefits of edtech, to ensure that it is used as part of a balanced approach. It shouldn't be a replacement for quality teaching.”

Learn more about Tassomai in schools and our free 3-week trial here.