The office for standards in education and the pupil premium grant: primary educators’ understanding and experiences of inspection criteria

Abstract

This thesis explores the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) Education Inspection Framework and its link to the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) within England’s primary education system. The Ofsted framework enables inspectors to rate schools with one of the following designations: outstanding, good, requires improvement, or inadequate. By interviewing three primary educators at various stages of their careers, this thesis primarily endeavours to understand the role of Ofsted in relation to the PPG. A secondary goal is to identify the ways those educators respond to factors that cause pupil deprivation while also working towards closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. The psychological approach to narrative inquiry, as described by Merriam and Tisdell, is employed so that focus can be placed on the personal thoughts and motivations of the participants (2015, p. 35). To achieve an outstanding designation, schools must show that they have closed the attainment gap between pupils who receive the PPG and those who do not. The literature review shows that deprivations faced by some pupils are outside the control of schools and therefore the provision of additional funding to schools does little to impact the root cause of such deprivations. This thesis concludes with a discussion of how primary educators use their scope of influence to reduce the attainment gap. Research has found no link between school inspections and improvement or that the PPG funding has closed the attainment gap calling into question their efficacy in improving the social mobility of disadvantaged pupils. Finally, this thesis positions this study in a post-pandemic climate alongside a recruitment and retention crisis that has led to teaching unions initiating strike action.