24 September 2020 Ofsted will check school readiness to teach relationships and sex education from January 2021

New guidance issued by Ofsted confirms that schools will have their readiness to teach the new relationships and sex education curriculum assessed when inspections recommence in January 2021

Whilst inspectors will comment on schools' readiness to comply in their reports from January, school compliance 'will not impact inspection judgements until the start of the Summer term 2021'

Teaching relationships education is compulsory in all schools from this year, with sex education also being compulsory in secondary schools

Schools have been told by the DfE that they 'should aim to start preparations to deliver the new curriculum as soon as possible and start teaching the new content by at least the start of the Summer term 2021' but 'should still be able to show how they will cover the whole curriculum in the future'

15 September 2020 Advisory group says that NLGs should be paid and eligibility for the role widened

The Department for Education has published the recommendations of the national leaders of governance (NLG) advisory group - these include widening the eligibility criteria for NLGs to include clerks and other non-chairs and payment for their time

The group says that the role should change to a paid role with a focus on supporting schools and trusts with 'significant need'

It also recommended 'substantial changes' to the eligibility criteria, including an extension to include governance professionals who are not chairs, such as clerks, and the removal of the requirement that NLGs can only be drawn from schools with a track record of strong performance

New standards should set 'clear expectations of NLGs and define the expertise required' whilst a 'robust two-stage' selection process is also proposed

8 September 2020 Ofsted carrying out interim visits to schools

Ofsted will be visiting a sample of 1200 schools from 28 September to undertake interim visits - these are designed 'to support schools in their important work to welcome all pupils back full time'

The visits are not inspections and will not result in a judgement being passed on the school; Ofsted will publish a letter after a visit has taken place

Guidance has been published for the visits which says that, if there are concerns about safeguarding or leadership, inspectors can arrange to treat the visit as an NFD ( no formal designation) inspection

During the visits, inspectors will look at

- the barriers the school faces in managing the return to education

- how leaders are ensuring that pupils resume learning the school's curriculum, including the use of remote education and catch-up funding

- how pupils are settling back into expected routines and behaviour, including regular attendance

- how any identified issues relating to special educational needs, disabilities, health, care and wellbeing issues for specific groups of pupils are being addressed

- the school's safeguarding arrangements