Ofsted Inspection - Is this unreasonable?

[BertieBrabinger]

How would you react if you were asked by a teacher at your DC's school to keep them out of school for the day of the inspection in case they were a disruptive influence? Is this something Ofsted recommend?

It's a bit weird, right?

I'd react by informing OFSTED and searching out a better school.

When I'd done both those things I'd tell the school and the parents what I'd done and why. I'd tell them all publicly and be very, very loud about it.

Who asked you, OP?

OP, that is absolutely standard.

In the case of disruptive children who really cannot be controlled or cajoled, and will not co-operate from choice to support their school (most pupils are happy to do this), the request to keep at home is standard.

It is, of course, against the rules, or at least, against the spirit of instant inspections.

You can contact Ofsted online and explain.

Or, and this is the course of action I would recommend, you can keep the child at home and get the child sorted out (with whatever discipline or support is required) so the school never has to do it again.

I'd tell Ofsted too.

My last school did this in the days when schools got more notice. The inspectors were wandering round school openly wondering where most of Year 11 were.

I would semnd him in and march up to the chief inspector and tell them too. oh and ring the council welfare office to let them know.

My reaction would depend on a few things.

If I had to work that day then my child would be going in and that would be that. But leaving work aside, if my child had SN that I felt was well supported by the school then I'd do the teacher a favour and make her job on an already stressful day slightly easier. If my child had SN and I felt it wasn't well supported by the school then my child would be going in in the hope that OFSTED would recognise the problem.

If my child was disruptive for no real reason other than being a mischievous child or because of my bad parenting, then I'd be embarrassed and would keep my child home.

I know this has happened in the past before, it's a bit of a long standing joke in schools. However, since Ofsted have changed their criteria massively over the course of a few years it's not very likely that any school would chance their outcome by pulling a stunt like this.

Is this your child OP? Is this a recent request by the school?

Absolutely not! If that is your child op, they go into school and you infòrm OFSTEAD.

I have had this happen. One day ds (ASD) came home and said he had spent all day in the library helping to tidy books . The next day we had a call to collect him as he was not well but he seemed ok. He later told us that staff had kept telling him that he looked ill but that he actually felt fine. I later found out that Ofsted had visited on those days.

I'm would suggest informing Ofsted but don't expect this to make much difference. I know of a school that threatened parents who had complained, fiddled absence figures and discriminated against a disabled child but was still considered outstanding in all areas by Ofsted.

Stitch, you are talking utter nonsense.

You seriously think complex diagnoses are handed out on a whim?

Sadly I suspect she does think exactly that.

Fact is that whatever the cause of disruptive behaviour, it isn't solved by asking the parents to keep the child out of school for an OFSTED inspection.

I am a parent, I have a child who is very very rarely disruptive in school but the school have an action plan should that occur. They don't ask me to be "on call" in case OFSTED phone.

My son is autistic with ADHD (which no doubt stitch doesn't believe in) and dyspraxia . It makes life very hard for him at times but generally he copes very well. my parenting did not cause any of the above issues, the only blame I may have is in passing on my dyspraxia.

A school asking a parent to remove a child if there is an OFSTED inspection is plainly showing they are not the right school for that child.

Stitch how nasty. Op dc çoukd have sn. So you would be embarrassed by your child, how sad.

I'd report that to OFSTED actually.

An 'Outstanding' school near me did the same thing for its last inspection. It got away with it but has a very bad reputation now among parents with SEN children, who saw it as a clear signal that they weren't welcome there.

I'd tell Ofsted.

Haven't seen a school try this in years. In our previous inspection we had a nurture group that went out to a specialist group (we still do this) and ofsted required a huge amount of proof to prove that it hadn't been staged for the day.

Interesting that this has gone straight down the SEN route and that the OP appears to have a child at the only school in (I assume England) that has more than half a days notice for an ofsted inspection.

Appalling. I know of many schools that have done this

I can't see this is widespread practise in RL either. I was a TA and know dozens of TAs and teachers in loads if schools and this has never happened.

I think a lot of this is urban myth to be honest. Especially now.

However op it's totally unacceptable and I would be contacting Ofsted about this.

Stitch it's very very hard to get a diagnosis let alone a statement.

Smugness could bite your arse one day.

I'd be mortified and probably apologising to the school.

Actually stitch you don't know! The HT in dd old MS school told me tgat dd [Asd] is not naughty or disruptive, her behaviour is because she is distressed and anxious because of her AUTISM!!!! Her previous headteacher has an older dd with ASD and has been teaching fir 30 years! Funny how when she went to a socialist Autistic school, no disruptive or distressed behaviour, and is doing fantastically academically and behaviourally. So stitch ODFOD!

I am really shocked, I didn't think this actually happened.

it used to happen. hard to do now though, almost impossible i would imagine.

When I worked in two different schools, I was called in to one school to be interviewed by Ofsted during their inspection, despite the fact that I was working at the other school on that day.

So I'm not surprised to hear that the reverse could happen - that children are asked to stay at home if it's felt their presence would not be beneficial to the inspection.

Oh stitch, dd dx took 3 years btw, after long and careful consideration by the paed and other health professionals involved with dd. You don't know!

We've just had our Ofsted inspection and didn't feel the need to hide any children! I would let Ofsted know.

Likewise my DS is very good in class, so good in fact that ADHD took a long time to be diagnosed. Once it was diagnosed and DS went onto medication he made massive progress academically, at the end of Y6 he got an award for outstanding progress in KS2. I was so proud of him.

Autism can take years to be diagnosed, my son was 8 when he got the diagnosis and 9 when they added ADHD. At that point he could not read despite being read to from birth virtually and having a house full of books. Three months on ADHD medication and he was nearly fluent as a reader and by end of Y6 was in a par with most of his peers.