Guidance

Risk assessment methodology: early career framework and national professional qualifications

Updated 1 February 2024

Applies to England

Introduction

We use the following risk assessment methodology to ensure that our approach to inspection is proportionate and that we focus our efforts where they can have the greatest impact. We will apply the methodology described here for all early career framework (ECF) and national professional qualification (NPQ) inspections, with the exception of initial lead provider monitoring visits (LPMVs), which must take place within the first 12 months of course delivery.

New lead providers will receive an LPMV in the first year of operation. From the second year of delivery onwards, lead providers will usually receive a full inspection a minimum of once every 2 academic years. If an existing lead provider begins delivering 1 or more additional NPQ programme(s), we may include the additional programme(s) in the lead provider’s next scheduled full inspection.

If an LPMV finds that a lead provider is not taking effective action to ensure that delivery of the ECF and/or NPQ programmes is of a high quality, we will normally return to do a full inspection within a year.

Where a lead provider receives a judgement that is less than good, Ofsted will determine whether it is appropriate or proportionate to carry out an LPMV or full inspection within the following 12 months. This will depend on the concerns identified during the inspection and other risk assessment information available at the time.

We base the selection criteria on the ECF and NPQ inspection framework and handbook. It is important to note that the risk assessment process is not used to prejudge inspection outcomes.

Risk assessment

The risk assessment process for scheduling full inspections involves the following methodology:

• analysing information about lead providers from published and unpublished data
• a desk-based review by senior His Majesty’s Inspectors (SHMI), where they confirm the proposed schedule is appropriate

Analysing eligible lead providers

The initial dataset used for risk assessment contains all lead providers contracted by the Department for Education that are open and offering the ECF induction and/or NPQ professional development.

This year’s risk assessment is based mainly on 5 factors:

• information from the lead provider’s LPMV
• known concerns about a lead provider, where applicable
• known complaints about a lead provider, where applicable
• the timing of other inspections relevant to the lead provider, for example inspection of initial teacher education provision
• previous full inspections (where applicable)

A risk score is allocated to each lead provider based on the 5 factors set out above.

We use the following data sources to inform this decision:

• unpublished information, for example from the Department for Education
• published latest inspection data taken from Ofsted ECF and NPQ LPMV letters and full inspection reports
• unpublished data, acquired from an annual data return sent to ECF and NPQ lead providers, which updates us on programmes available, the numbers of programme participants and the number of delivery partners each lead provider is working with during the next academic year

SHMI review the information from the risk assessment process to confirm the schedule for full inspection for the next academic year.

Timing of inspections

For further information on the timing of inspections, please refer to the ECF and NPQ inspection framework and handbook