The Overview and Scrutiny Ofsted Subgroup of Manchester City Council met on Wednesday 22 July 2026 to review recent Ofsted inspection outcomes for schools and daycare providers in Manchester. The subgroup also considered its terms of reference and work programme.

Ofsted Inspections of Manchester Schools

The subgroup was scheduled to receive a list of Manchester schools inspected since the previous meeting on 25 February 2026, along with the judgements awarded by Ofsted. The meeting was also set to consider the main themes arising from these inspections. A report pack detailed several recent graded inspections, including those for Eden Boys Leadership Academy, which received 'Exceptional' judgements for safeguarding, PD & Wellbeing, and Leadership & Governance, and Eden Girls Leadership Academy, which also achieved 'Exceptional' across all areas. Other schools, such as St Saviour's Primary, received 'Needs Attention' judgements in several categories, including curriculum and teaching, achievement, and attendance and behaviour.

Discussions were expected to cover feedback from school leaders regarding the revised Ofsted inspection framework. This included comments on the more collaborative tone of inspections, the reduced pressure on middle leaders but increased impact on senior leaders, and the challenges of managing day-to-day operations during inspections. Concerns were also to be raised about the potential for Ofsted to focus heavily on data, such as achievement and attendance, without fully considering the specific context of Manchester schools, which may face more challenging circumstances than national averages. The Senior School Quality Assurance Officer, Kelly Eyres, was to report on the council's efforts to feed back these concerns to Ofsted.

The report pack also highlighted the council's support for schools preparing for inspections, including training sessions and webinars. The potential for schools to be judged as 'needs attention' for attendance and attainment due to not being in line with national averages was noted as a point of frustration for schools working in difficult contexts. The importance of understanding school context and focusing on the impact and progress of children was emphasised by Councillor Sarah Wakefield, Chair of Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee.

The discussion was also scheduled to touch upon the 'exceptional' judgement, which Ofsted described as requiring schools to deliver 'transformational' outcomes. Councillor Julie Reid, Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People, expressed concern that this standard might be too high compared to the previous 'outstanding' judgement. The East Manchester Academy (TEMA) was cited as an example of a school with transformational outcomes.

Ofsted Inspections of Daycare Providers

The subgroup was scheduled to review Ofsted inspection outcomes for daycare providers in Manchester since the last meeting. The Early Years Quality Assurance Lead was to provide an overview of these inspections, noting that 96% of settings were judged to be good or better. Common strengths identified across recent inspections included strong leadership, positive relationships, effective safeguarding, high-quality staff interactions, and good partnerships with parents.

A specific focus was to be placed on Brighter Beginnings Fallowfield, which had been inspected under the new framework and received positive feedback, with a developmental focus on sustaining and maximising impact. The report pack also listed other settings such as Alexandra Park Learning Community and Dryden Street Nursery, with varying inspection outcomes.

The support provided to settings on the new Ofsted Framework, including workshops and the use of Ofsted's Early Years Inspection Toolkit, was to be discussed. The subgroup was also to consider the implications of the new framework for childminders, with a recommendation to consider childminder inspection reports at a future meeting. Questions were expected regarding how Ofsted would judge attendance for children not of statutory school age, with the Early Years Quality Assurance Lead explaining that settings contact families for non-attendance, partly for safeguarding and partly to encourage attendance and support school readiness.

Councillor Reid expressed dissatisfaction with the 'exceptional' standard for early years settings, suggesting it should be raised with Ministers.

Terms of Reference and Work Programme

The subgroup was scheduled to review its Terms of Reference and Work Programme for 2026/2027. The report pack outlined the subgroup's rationale, which includes considering inspection outcomes and emerging themes for Manchester schools, children's centres, daycare providers, children's homes, and supported accommodation. It also covers how local authorities secure school improvement and services for children in need of help and protection. The subgroup's operation involves meeting periodically and reporting findings to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. The work programme for the upcoming period included scheduled discussions on Ofsted inspections of schools and daycare providers, as well as a review of the Terms of Reference and Work Programme. A future meeting was also planned to specifically consider Ofsted inspection reports for childminders.