To think think Ofsted is a nonsense

[tinselbella]

Hi,

My friend works in a challenging school - tough area, deprivation etc. Her school had Ofsted just before they stopped giving overall grades. they were graded inadequate. They are now all under even more stress trying to improve things.

So my issues is.... If a school is really 'inadequate' then why on earth do Ofsted just leave at the end of the inspection, leaving the school open and running as normal?

It got me thinking about poor Ruth Perry Her school was graded inadequate for safeguarding issues. Despite this, the school remained open after the inspection.

I really do think that Ofsted is a load of nonsense - what value does it bring to school improvement?>

Because they'll come and reinspect a school that requires improvement pretty soon after to check it has improved. Shutting a whole school can have a devastating impact on a community so they want to try and change the school rather than just close it. Nurseries do sometimes close after a bad ofsted.

I also think there should be a grade “working towards”, rather than “inadequate”. But they have stopped the one-word branding now haven’t they?

If the problem is relating to safeguarding I think Ofsted should have resources to stay onsite and support the school to fix it

I thought this post was going to be saying how schools play the Ofsted system by bribing kids to behave well if there are guests in the school, and telling the Ofsted people what they want to hear.

My DD’s primary school was rated outstanding and ignored for ten years. Ofsted returned and rated it good. They obviously arrived on a day kids weren’t savagely attacking each other, wrecking the classroom and cramming so hard for SATS that the rest of the curriculum was totally ignored for two terms.

They do occasionally shut the school. Happens more with nurseries but it has happened with schools. The risks to the children have to be huge and immediate though. It would need more than an easily fixed safeguarding issue or failing safeguarding because paperwork isn’t in place.

If a school closes there isn’t necessarily a place for all those pupils to go immediately so the bar would have to be quite high.

Just had a horrific Ofsted inspection that does not give a true representation of our Early Years setting.
One word is still used - "inadequate" and they only come back 6-12 months after by which time, we hope we are still open.
The effect this has on staff cannot be underestimated.
About a year ago we had a pre-inspection look around from the local council and they were under the impression that we would go from "good" to "outstanding".
There is not enough support.
What I think they should do is inspect and then reinspect a few weeks' later if they make this kind of judgement on the day. The reports should then only be released if they uphold this.
Staff morale is the lowest I have ever seen it; we love our jobs and taking care and teaching the children but we now feel why are we bothering for just over £12 per hour.
It is shocking