The annual report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills 2007/08

This annual report presents evidence from the first full year of inspection and regulation undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, which came into being in April 2007. The report draws on evidence since July 2007 and reflects the first full year of inspection and regulation by Ofsted across its expanded remit, including findings from childcare, children's social care, and education and skills provision for learners of all ages.

As in previous years, the first part of the report offers an overview of findings from inspection and regulation from across the full range of Ofsted's remit, from childcare and early education to adult learning. The evidence is drawn from our inspection and regulatory visits to providers and from the focused survey inspections we carry out in order to collect more detailed information about subjects and aspects of provision in education and skills. Increasingly, our inspections are proportionate and our resources are focused where there is the greatest need for improvement.

The second part of the report explores three important themes. The first, 'Improving life chances: outstanding education and social care', examines the means by which providers achieve and sustain excellence and, in so doing, make significant improvements in the life chances of the most disadvantaged children, young people and adults. The second thematic section reports on the progress which has been made in ensuring that children grow up safe from harm and neglect, and with the personal skills needed to enter adult life successfully; this section draws on the third joint chief inspectors' report on arrangements to safeguard children. Finally, in 'Skills for working lives', we report on the quality of provision which seeks to enable learners to acquire the skills needed for successful working lives.

Published abstract.

This annual report presents evidence from the first full year of inspection and regulation undertaken by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, which came into being in April 2007. The report draws on evidence since July 2007 and reflects the first full year of inspection and regulation by Ofsted across its expanded remit, including findings from childcare, children's social care, and education and skills provision for learners of all ages.

As in previous years, the first part of the report offers an overview of findings from inspection ...  [+] Show more