School given noticed today that ofsted arriving tomorrow?

[oldstudentmum]

Not a teacher btw. Is this the norm as schools that kids have attended all got longer notice and we were sent forms to fill out for inspector. Any thoughts 💭

Are you in Essex? I'm a teacher abs we had Ofsted notification today. Totally normal

Totally normally.

Schools should be OFSTED ready every day, meaning it should be business as usual and that should be good enough.

They do. If the head is well known enough in the county, their SIP will give advance notice. LAs do know who is on the list for the next few weeks.

Schools DO NOT get any tip off
The diocese knows and in the past may have dropped a hint that it is in x term but that is frowned upon

We have many many schools awaiting inspection and I can assure you that we dont know.

SIPs do not know.
Diocese know
LAs do not know (although there is usually a chronology and you can work it out roughly)

Well yes - because they were made aware the day before the inspection. And you do know that governors in other schools may have different jobs to yours ?

They are not in the area!
It doesn't work like that

If an inspector reveals an inspection date they are sacked- simple

It changed 7 years ago.

Totally normal to get the official notice the day before. We do often hear they’re “in the area” so to speak from other schools, so can be on alert ready!

Governor here. We and school were made aware the day before. Not all governors could make the meeting with the inspector, nor were they expected to by either Ofsted or the Chair of Governors.

1. They don't arrive at 8.30. Unannounced are very rare
2. They call between about 10.30 and 12 they day before
3. The HT agrees when they will meet with governors- typically start of 2nd day but flexible based on availability. This is agreed in a timetable by the end of the day before inspection (can be quite late)
4. The meetings with governors can be face to face, by TEAMs or hybrid
5. Not all governors are required. They like to meet the Chair- if they are not available they tend to try and have a brief phone call with them

Thats rubbish
They dont do in the area.
Exception being a MAT inspection where they have to do a certain number within a short timescale.

@oldstudentmum
"Hell no! Oh I have complained to the school but they ignored it. Oh dear ofsted included a link for me to give feedback direct to them so that’s what I’ve now done. Can’t move schools as no spaces elsewhere. So stuck."
You sound like a joy! That parent!

They don't arrive at 8.30

I know how Ofsted inspections work. My post was in reply to previous posters suggesting Ofsted should just arrive unannounced without giving any notice. This wouldn’t work for many reasons.

The last 2 inspections my sister had, she was informed by county they'd be with her in the next fortnight. When it came, the call was no surprise to her

Not every head gets this special treatment, granted, but she was categorically told.

I appreciate you have a different experience, but this is mine.

Plus if it is a MAT they seem much keener to meet the Trust Board/Directors than the local governance at the moment.

22 years as a SIP for 5 different LAs.
10 years as Head of School Improvement for a large LA

I can assure you _ we never know (unless the diocese blabbed) or we requested an inspection (once)

Schools know when they're overdue for inspection, but they don't know when it will happen exactly. There are certain trigger factors:

• 6 months have passed since an Inadequate grade
• 30 months have passed since an RI grade.
• 4 years have passed since a Good or Outstanding grade. (However, there is a backlog of Outstanding schools, because they had a performance-related exemption until it was recently removed).
• The school has a new Head since the last inspection.
• The school recently opened a Sixth Form.

There may be others.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1088585/School_inspection_summary_-_types_of_inspections.pdf

Risk based assessment considerations:

data from the DfE (for example, progress, attainment, attendance and exclusion data)
school workforce census data
the views of parents and carers, including those shown by Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents
qualifying complaints about the school referred to Ofsted
pupil mobility (this measures the amount of pupils leaving the school before the normal leaving age, or joining after the normal joining age, for that school)
the outcomes of any inspections that we have carried out since the last graded or ungraded inspection
statutory warning notices
any other significant concerns that are brought to our attention

If School is run properly shouldn’t really worry!

Sorry but you are completely wrong.

They don't. I work for the Local Authority's school support service and have done for 15 years, and am yet to experience any school ever having a tip off. The sole purpose of Ofsted is to arrive with little notice.

Except its not usually 😕 You have the head along with his admin staff franticly going through/sorting/tiding paperwork, classrooms being "made over" with all lovely work on display, corridors suddenly spring cleaned and tidied to every inch of their life. School staff I really smart clothing/suits, the caretaker smartly dressed, lunchtimes have about 10 staff suddenly supervising the hall/play ground, reception areas suddenly free of "lost property " and other mess. Everyone acting like completely different staff for 2 days and the "disruptive" children suddenly absent or have 2 staff looking after them.

It's all a joke and Ofsted should be like EHO who just turn up to kitchens. That's the only way you'll ever get a true picture.