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Original poster

How often are outstanding schools reinspected by Ofsted?

52 replies

Legoandloldolls · 10/12/2019 20:57

School was outstanding Spring 16. I thought outstanding schools were only inspected every five years?

I suspect someone has called Ofsted in. Dont really know why but there are a few disgruntled parents and the PTA is asking parents to give positive feedback which I feel is weird. Surely you say as you see it?

OP posts:
Waffles80 · 10/12/2019 21:01

🤣🤣🤣🤣 at ‘calling Ofsted in’.

Paddingtonthebear · 10/12/2019 21:03

Ours hasn’t been inspected since 2009

Mickhasnotorso · 10/12/2019 21:04

If someone has complained to ofsted then they can do an inspection

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poseysbobblehat · 10/12/2019 21:05

We were 2010

Original poster
Legoandloldolls · 10/12/2019 21:06

You can call Ofsted in as a parent. If its serious enough like safeguarding they do reinspect. However it's not easy to get onto that kind of radar.

I didnt think Ofsted looked at outstanding schools in under four years or has this changed again?

OP posts:
Whatelsecouldibecalled · 10/12/2019 21:07

Depends on a variety of factors. Results dip, serious safe guarding concerns, serious incident. All can trigger inspections

LeithWalk · 10/12/2019 21:08

We currently have a 'run' of outstanding schools being inspected - I would say 10 in the last two terms. None have kept their outstanding judgement.
Government legislation hasn't changed regarding the inspection of outstanding schools but a usually data based 'risk assessment' carried out by Ofsted can trigger an inspection.

Waffles80 · 10/12/2019 21:08

You can complain to Ofsted, yes. You can alert them to a concern and if it’s a serious safeguarding concern they might inspect. But you cannot “call them in”.

MsAwesomeDragon · 10/12/2019 21:10

Something has to trigger an inspection of an outstanding school. That might be a change of head, a poor set of exam results, a safeguarding concern at the school, etc. Say it as it is on the parental questionnaire, if it's still outstanding then that's great, if it's changed then they'll see that as well and give advice to improve

My school hasn't been inspected since 2012, and was only inspected them because we had a new head at the time.

Original poster
Legoandloldolls · 10/12/2019 21:10

I guess it looks like they arent due a inspection yet then.

I'm not concerned overall but they had a member of staff leave with no notice recently.

OP posts:
LeithWalk · 10/12/2019 21:10

And just to add - no other concerns about these schools

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 10/12/2019 21:13

If they've had a member of staff leave suddenly, they could have made whistleblowing allegations that have triggered the inspection.

WeKnowFrogsGoShaLaLaLaLa · 10/12/2019 21:15

Attendance can trigger an ofsted too - what's attendance like?

Original poster
Legoandloldolls · 10/12/2019 21:26

They dont publish attendance figures on the website. It's a weird one. No behaviour policy on the website either. Attendance generally seems ok.

OP posts:
ListeningQuietly · 10/12/2019 21:29

Gove stopped "outstanding" schools being inspected
so some have been resting on their laurels for over 10 years
from September the OFSTED framework was changed
and any school can be inspected for any reason OFSTED choose
and so they bloody should be
as in a secondary, all staff and all pupils and all governors could have changed since the last inspection

converseandjeans · 10/12/2019 21:35

My school hasn't been inspected since 2011. However results and value added are consistently good so they seem to be leaving us alone.

Cremebrule · 10/12/2019 21:41

There is one near me that has gone 9 years and no-one wants their kids to go there. It is ridiculous that some can go so long.

Original poster
Legoandloldolls · 10/12/2019 21:43

Yes ten years between inspections seems madness. The enthusiasm of the PTA to be positive grates on me TBH. Also it makes me wonder where that has come from. Why would a parent be so keen to keep the school squeaky clean. Maybe I'm overthinking it. But any perceived criticism seems to shut down in the last few months.

Waffle I'm dyslexic and also pretty working class so.please excuse my semantic, grammar errors. Its just words to me. I live in particularly shit LA who failed their inspection of children's services so I have flagged up many incidents on my LA practice to two individuals in Ofsted. I would in lay terms "I grass them up" i guess that's my suspicion here too. I suspect someone has dobbed someone in it. For what, I have no idea. But to be reinspected so soon does seem to not be the norm.

OP posts:
Delatron · 10/12/2019 21:44

Yes ours has been 10 years! With a change of head in that time. I wish it would be inspected. So much can change in 10 years.

ListeningQuietly · 10/12/2019 21:50

NB
Lots of schools have become academies (ie left all external oversight)
or joined Multi Academy Trusts (who are exempt from external oversight)
or been moved from one chain to another (still without external oversight)
and not had an OFSTED inspection for years and years

GuyFawkesDay · 10/12/2019 21:50

Nope, those "outstanding" schools without recent Ofsted just got bumped right to the top of the queue under the new framework.

Ofsted have realised many are no longer outstanding and are dropping in to see them. They even took on 40 new HMI to do the catching up!

Delatron · 10/12/2019 21:59

I did hear today that one of the other outstanding schools in our town which also hasn’t been inspected for over ten years had an inspection today. Interesting.

newbingepisodes · 10/12/2019 22:07

My local "outstanding" primary has not has ofsted in for 11 years! Fairly sure it's not outstanding now!

Punxsutawney · 10/12/2019 22:19

Ds's school hasn't been inspected since 2011. They are a grammar school so a quick glance at results and it might seem like all is great. Except it's not at all. Behaviour is pretty poor, there are drug issues and trying to get support for Ds who has an SEN is very hard. I don't see Ofsted knocking on their door anytime soon. I don't think you can just call Ofsted in either(unless it was a serious safeguarding concern) just because you are a bit unhappy with the school, there are procedures that you have to go through.

Haffdonga · 10/12/2019 22:23

The school my dcs went to was last Ofsteded in 2007 Shock