ABSTRACT
Inspections are the centre-piece of the Government's school improvement programme. As an independent Government Department Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) can, rightly, focus on their core objective of ensuring the inspection of all schools. Labour is developing policy on inspection and the way in which the Office for Standards in Education should develop and change. Both Labour and Liberal Democrats opposed the Act which set up OFSTED throughout its passage through Parliament. The independence of inspection is crucial. OFSTED must be independent, but responsible to ministers and Parliament. Its reports must be seen to be fair and honest. The development of any additional local inspections must be equally independent. The Local Education Authority must be in a position to follow up the reports of inspectors. Building on practice, Liberal Democrats would require each school to produce an Institutional Development Plan (IDP) designed to cover at least a three-year period.
