Ofsted to carry out spot checks on struggling schools

School teachers helping pupils carry out online learning courses as part of their education could be interested in a recent announcement from Ofsted.

The regulator has unveiled plans to carry out spot checks on institutions where student behaviour is considered a weakness.

Results of the unannounced monitoring will aim to establish whether surprise visits give a more detailed impression of the attitudes of students in schools.

News of the development emerged after Ofsted announced plans to alter the manner in which it inspects schools, adding "behaviour and safety" to its principal priorities.

"By testing out unannounced monitoring visits, we will see if there is even more we can do to help schools address behaviour problems," explained HM chief inspector Miriam Rosen.

Earlier this month, the governing body urged head teachers to create nurture groups in a bid to offer guidance and support to pupils displaying limited social skills.

The recommendation comes after previous research revealed students who attended the lessons made considerable progress in a number of different areas.