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Original poster

If your child's school is OFSTED rated "outstanding"...

114 replies

Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:10

can you see why OFSTED have rated it so? Are you and your children happy with the school?

I've just seen some stuff on here that's made me wonder about it (high staff turnover in some schools, poor behaviour etc) because it is not my experience of the schools my children attend.

Is my experience of having kids in these schools typical, or do some of you dislike your child's "outstanding school"? And why?

Also, if you are a teacher at an "outstanding " school, are you happy teaching there?

OP posts:
roundtable · 02/02/2023 22:16

How long has it been outstanding for?

There's no one size fits all. I've worked at outstanding schools where teachers are crying in the toilets and behaviour is dire when doing supply and some where things were amazing.

Completely depends on the school. Sorry, I know that's not helpful!

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:21

Primary has been outstanding for ages...since 2007, with an interim assessment in 2011 saying progress has been sustained they won't be inspecting again unless concerns are raised.

Secondary since 2017.

IMO, both are absolutely fantastic schools and my kids are thriving academically at both of them.

OP posts:
piggijg · 02/02/2023 22:23

Ours is outstanding and was rated so last year but is truly awful for SEN. It's lovely in some ways but you just can't make up for lack of resources.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
evemillbank · 02/02/2023 22:24

Ours in and I can see why . It's a great school.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:25

@piggijg is that primary or secondary please? Does your child have SEN?

OP posts:
Whatames · 02/02/2023 22:27

I work in an outstanding secondary. Love working there and have moved so my kids can go there. Nurturing but also gets the best out of them academically. Not perfect but best school I have worked in.

newtowelsplease · 02/02/2023 22:28

Kids at two different "outstanding" schools. One of them really is an incredible school and I can 100% see how great it is. Admittedly it's a selective grammar that really suits my child, it wouldn't suit a lot of others. Not many local children make the grade for admission.

The other one, a primary school, is really so far from outstanding that I feel like contacting ofsted and asking them to come and downgrade them because they need support to improve. Has been graded outstanding since 2011, head changed in 2014 and it has gone massively downhill since then.

piggijg · 02/02/2023 22:29

Primary. My child is being assessed for SEN even though the school told us for years that all was fine. Dear reader all is not fine.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:29

@piggijg I hope your child gets the support they need.

OP posts:
Cornelious2011 · 02/02/2023 22:30

Some schools haven't been ofsted' in years as per your examples. I wouldn't hold much weight to it.

Switchwitch · 02/02/2023 22:31

DD's primary is outstanding, just been rebadged as outstanding too. I have no real complaints but I do think there was a lot of surface level initiatives put in place just to get the ofsted result, special sensory areas etc that actually the kids don't get to use much. Lots of emphasis on values etc, lots about foreign language learning and music that was promptly ditched after the ofsted result came through, it's all lip service. Ultimately the catchment area means a lot of students have parents who work in a certain industry so academically push their children, invest heavily in extra curricular and have the money to help the school look good. I'm not sure how much of the 'outstanding' can be attributed to the teaching style etc.

ThisTooShallPassOneDay · 02/02/2023 22:31

I moved my daughter last year (due to house move) from a 'Good' school to an 'Outstanding' school.

The difference is unbelievable. The communication, professionalism of staff, higher expectations and opportunities offered are miles apart. I actually didn't have any issues with her previous school but my eyes have been well and truly opened.

She is absolutely thriving and the difference in my daughter in terms of confidence, effort, engagement, responsibility and progress is really quite staggering.

I just wish that all schools were like hers, as the the future would be very bright.

We are extremely lucky and I am very aware of that Smile

tinselandjoy · 02/02/2023 22:33

My DD's primary school is outstanding. It's a lovely environment and she totally thrives. It's not in a posh area but the attainment of kids is fantastic.

I think they push them really hard - she is only year one but gets weekly maths, reading and spelling homework. I would have liked it when I was a kid though.

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:34

@Cornelious2011 I suppose I see the progress my children have made there and as such, I believe the schools are still outstanding (and would continue to believe it even in the unlikely event that OFSTED went in tomorrow and said theyd gone to shit).

The reason im asking is because it could well be that not every child is making the same amount of progress as mine in their outstanding schools, or that big problems are occurring and being overlooked etc.

OP posts:
Labraradabrador · 02/02/2023 22:36

We were at an outstanding for a bit and it was awful. At reception level the entire focus was on achieving SATS that would support continued outstanding rating. Not great for children on the young side/ not ready for the curriculum. I also got the sense that not great for kids on other end of spectrum who needed more stretch.

in retrospect, mine would have done better at a ‘good’ school that was more child focused.

DangerNoodles · 02/02/2023 22:39

For me it would depend on how long it has been outstanding for and what it's local reputation is like.

An outstanding secondary near us was recently inspected and now ofsted has said it requires improvement. It has a terrible reputation amoung locals for bulling and parents really had to fight to get the school inspected.

toomuchlaundry · 02/02/2023 22:41

@Dacadactyl the rules have changed in respect of Outstanding schools, they didn’t used to be re-inspected unless something catastrophic had happened eg with their data or safeguarding. But OFSTED are now re-inspecting all outdated outstanding schools so assume the Primary School will be inspected at some point. The most recent report should be on the school website

BlueMoon23 · 02/02/2023 22:43

My kid's school is outstanding but last Ofsted was 2011 and since then the headteacher has changed, they became an academy and then joined a different academy trust. It is a good school however very focused on academic achievement and SATs. Like another PP I wish they focused more on wellbeing

Original poster
Dacadactyl · 02/02/2023 22:46

@toomuchlaundry yes the schools have told us they are likely to be reinspected, so I was aware of it, thanks.

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 02/02/2023 22:47

No, my son’s grammar school is not good - teaching, pastoral, etc.
we just pay fir the other two children.

superdupernova · 02/02/2023 22:52

An outstanding rating doesn't mean much to me. I still remember Ofsted coming to two of my schools while I was there. It was like a completely different place during the inspections but not actually better. They just did a lot of things that (even to a teenager) looked like box ticking exercises.

SarahAndQuack · 02/02/2023 23:15

I'm pushing in, in the manner of AIBU, because I have views on this even though my DD's school isn't rated 'outstanding'.

DD's school was last rated in 2017 (because of covid), and they had Ofstead in last week. Previously, all reports grade the school as either 'good' or 'satisfactory'. All reports, going back years, acknowledge that a higher than average number of pupils have disabilities or SEN, in a tiny village school. One report does note that it is 'expected' that the final-year children were performing less well on average than the expectation for that year group. But it doesn't make clear what this means: it's three children, one of whom has Down's Syndrome, and all of whom have individually smashed their educational targets.

It's pretty clear that if DD's school were more cynical about children with special needs, they'd do better. (There are various other reasons why I say this, and I'm not going to share them all because it could be identifying.) But I hate the idea of that. It's a school where there's an enormous amount of care and consideration. Sure, sometimes, they might ignore the reading scheme rules and tailor reading lessons to an individual child. I don't believe that is a bad thing.

I am sure many schools rated 'offstanding' are excellent, and manage to balance excellent care with education. But, I would always look for a school that provided really careful, differentiated care.

surreygirl1987 · 02/02/2023 23:25

Take the gradings with a punch of salt. I used to live down the road from an 'outstanding' primary school, and I would never in a million years send my kids there. In fact we moved house to avoid it! There is a lot more to schools than osfted labels. (I'm a teacher)

surreygirl1987 · 02/02/2023 23:26

Oh and our first choice primary was recently rated 'requires improvement' by ofsted by the way... we moved here specifically to get them into that school despite this.

tpmumtobe · 02/02/2023 23:29

Our primary is 'Outstanding' but that rating dates back over ten years and in my book is very misleading. Their approach to SEN is not just inadequate (which I could understand given funding blah blah), it's actively damaging, SEN kids are repeatedly ignored and encouraged to leave. They are due Ofsted any day now and I fully expect them to go down to 'Good'.

Our secondary was recently rated 'Good with Outstanding Leadership'. I'd have given them outstanding across the board, their SEN and pastoral care is exceptional we couldn't be happier, it's a wonderful school.