to disagree with preparing children for Ofsted visit

[kalms1971]

visiting over next couple of days. Ds comes home and says "mummy we are having visitors in school and we have to be extra good". I don't think they should be told. Surely the inspectors should see it as it is without preparation??

Seems a bit pointless doesn't it if they have advance warning?

I think you have to tell them. They are going to wonder who the strangers are in class and what they are doing. Given they will ask children questions to it is handy to know who they are talking to!

I agree with you. I work in a school (support staff, not a teacher), we had Ofsted last year and it was a bloody nightmare. Unfortunately, headteachers still seem to be labouring under the impression that the preparation crap isn't taken into account.

But even if the inspectors turned up with zero warning, when they arrived, the DC would be told to behave....I don't think it's actually going to make much difference to most children's behaviour, though.

From what I can remember ofsted have to give at least 24 hours notice. However, kids being kids will say whatever they want anyway!

I think it's less than 24 hours notice...I think if they are coming, they phone the previous day. They arrive first thing am, but won't phone first thing the previous morning.

Lol hope they don't ask ds. He will prob say something funny!

I was in a school when ofsted came in. Phone call came at 12.30 they came in at 8am the next day.

in the old days, hmi used to turn up unannounced, but the messge was soon sent round the school with a couple of "monitors"

Kim, I've NEVER had Ofsted look at my week's planning - I didn't think they tended to look at plans? I've always just left the lesson plan at the back though.

Oops, forgot to respond to the OP!
I reckon there's worse priming the kids than what you've described! In my last school we were told to drill the kids on their targets all afternoon. They were 7.

YANBU.

I don't think any inspection body, whether it be Ofsted in education or the CQC in health, should ever give warning of an inspection. Schools, hospitals, care homes, etc, should not be given the opportunity to cover up any bad practice.

Advance warning of inspection means the whole thing is a pointless exercise.

I don't think there's anything wrong with telling children they have to be good for visitors. They will get told it when anyone visits the school and sits in class, whether they are parents, student teachers, governors or OFSTED inspectors.

In reality, they don't behave much different to what they usually do.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that really. However a rather silly ex colleague of mine actually primed children to ask him certain questions during a lesson! It backfired when a child said loudly "Oh no I forgot to ask you that question you told me to ask you"!!!!

If they are coming tomorrow and Friday, then it's likely the school only heard today that an inspection was happening.

No notice inspections didn't work because OFSTED would rock up at 8:30am to find Heads and SLT out for the day.

We were done in Jan. Call at 1pm on the Tues, they came on the Weds. I was teaching 12 periods across the Weds and Thurs, so no time to hide anything even if I'd wanted to.

You have to tell the kids who the strange people are in the room, and you have to send out parental questionnaires, so the kids do need to know. I actually found that all but the most hardcore kids really wanted to impress. They were proud of their school and wanted OFSTED to see what makes us a community.

Briefing the kids to be on their best behaviour won't make much difference if the school's got any serious issues with progression or achievement. The children and families need to know what's going on; they'd know soon enough anyway because the parents and carers will be completing a questionnaire for the inspectors.

I remember when we got half a term's notice of when the inspection would be - the inspection was more thorough but not as honest. I agree that just turning up would be way more informative.

Good point about absent staff though Spikeytree.