assessing how well schools promote equality of opportunity, and how effectively they tackle discrimination

evaluating the achievement and wider well-being of pupils as a whole and of different groups of pupils, and assessing the extent to which schools ensure that all pupils, including those most at risk, succeed

gathering, analysing and taking into account the views of parents and pupils

Assessing how effectively schools work in partnership with other providers in order to promote better outcomes for pupils.

be user-focused

full account is taken of Ofsted's policies on safeguarding, equality and diversity.

taking account of pupils' and parents' views when Ofsted plans and carries out inspections

drawing on pupils' and parents' views to inform inspectors' judgements and the outcomes of inspection

evaluating the work of schools in eliminating discrimination, promoting equal opportunities and encouraging good race relations

Once informed that an inspection is to take place, schools are required to take reasonable steps to notify parents, including registered parents of pupils who have been excluded or are away from school. Schools are also required to notify the local authority and Young People's Learning Agency. Ofsted provides governing bodies with a standard letter for the purpose of notifying parents. This is available in a range of community languages. The letter includes a brief questionnaire for parents, enabling them to provide their views of the school to inspectors. Responses to the questionnaire are returned, in confidence, to the lead inspector for analysis. Completed questionnaires are gathered by administrators and analysed by inspectors as early as possible in the inspection. If a parent should ask to see an inspector, the team does all it can to accommodate such requests, within the constraints on their time. When parents, pupils and staff meet inspectors, they should be able to do so in private.

During the inspection, inspectors talk with pupils including those from different groups and those holding representative responsibilities, for example as members of the school council. In addition, they gather the views of pupils during the inspection via a pupils' questionnaire.

From September 2009 inspectors will be able to gather the views of staff through a questionnaire. However, participation in this type of survey is voluntary. If a staff survey is carried out, individual members of staff can elect not to participate. The views of staff are used to help inspectors plan the inspection but they are not normally reported in the inspection report.

Following the start of the new arrangements, surveys will be introduced to gather pupils' and parents' views between inspections, the latter being of vital importance in the new framework. Parents' views will also contribute to the information used by Ofsted to plan when schools should be inspected. In time, pupils' views might also be a key element in this process.

A brief letter to pupils is provided as an appendix to the report. This is addressed to the pupils and is aimed at the older pupils in the school. For schools with sixth forms, the letter is aimed at pupils in Key Stage 4, as sixth formers may be expected to read the full report.

In this context, service users are the children, young people and their families or carers who are supported or who make use of children's social care contact, referral and assessment services. The unannounced nature of this inspection, and its focus on services and support for those children and young people who are most in need, limit opportunities for inspectors to engage directly with users during fieldwork.

However, inspectors will take account of whether the service has spoken to children in carrying out assessments, taken account of their views, and whether these views are reflected in assessments that meet differing needs.

Ofsted will also take account of results from new annual surveys of children and young people, Care4me and Aftercare, aimed particularly at looked after children and care leavers. These surveys will be introduced in 2009.

In this context, service users are the children, young people and their families or carers who are supported or who make use of these important services. Inspectors will always speak to children, young people and their carers during the inspection.

Inspectors will take account of whether the service has sought and acted on the views of children, young people and carers in reviewing and improving services.