A new voice for parents

Ofsted has today (20 October) launched ‘Parent View,’ a new online questionnaire that will allow parents and carers to give their views on their child’s school at any time of the year.

Covering more than 1,100 schools across Greater Manchester, parents will have the opportunity to complete the 12-question survey which will help other parents as they make important choices about their child’s education. The survey will also provide Ofsted with information about schools that will help inform priorities for inspection.

A panel of parents helped to shape the questions which cover a range of topics, including quality of teaching, bullying, behaviour and levels of homework, allowing parents to give a view about their child’s school on each issue. There is then a final question as to whether or not they would recommend the school to other parents. The questionnaire does not allow free text comments but invites responses to a series of closed questions.

The questions were carefully chosen to cover those issues that parents told Ofsted are the most important to them. They are also designed to provide Ofsted with the information to support decisions about inspection and will give headteachers a direct route into gathering the views of their parent group.

Launching Parent View, Baroness Sally Morgan, Ofsted Chairwoman said: “Parents know how valuable the insight of other mums and dads can be when making choices about schools. Parent View will give parents and carers across Greater Manchester the opportunity to make their voice heard when it comes to the performance of their child’s school.

“What parents tell us through these questionnaires will be considered when making decisions about when a school should be inspected. Whilst parents’ views alone cannot trigger an inspection, they will provide a vital piece of the jigsaw. I hope that mums and dads in Greater Manchester will use Parent View to make their views count.”
The results for each school will be published on the website in real time and will be saved at the end of the academic year.

The questionnaire is available at www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk.