Ofsted needs to be abolished (Trigger warning)

[MrsMurphyIWish]

Watched this heartbreaking story today:

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001k4r9

A headteacher took her own life as her school was rated inadequate. The pressures Ofsted creates are immense. Last week Ofsted were on strike Wednesday so decided to break protocol and rang schools Friday to conduct inspections on Monday - some schools were off for snow but that wasn’t a good enough reasons and even if the messages were picked up, that meant school staff would have worries over the weekend - some even going into school. Then there were schools who complained as these schools were given “extra notice”. Ofsted has created such a toxic work environment.

How has it come to this? A teacher who dedicated their life to education feels that a one word judgement meant life wasn’t worth living?

Here we go again. Someone having a go at teachers again. Is it any wonder no one wants to be one? Surprised no one has mentioned gold-plated pensions yet.

Our local authority sends a locality lead into every LA school once a term for the day with a different focus each time, so SEND, attendance, subject specific, safeguarding etc. They then produce an action plan with a list of positives and also areas to remedy before the next visit. It's then checked at the follow up together with the new focus. Helpful, thorough and supportive.

Now , if only all schools had access to such a system!

Now , if only all schools had access to such a system!

Yes. Eviscerating LAs and creating Academies and MATs was such a good idea for school oversight and improvement….

Why don't teachers pay attention to what people are saying and address those issues instead of constantly moaning and then closing ranks and threatening to strike, saying no-one else understands their unique plight?

At the end of the day, it's your job. Do it. Or don't do it. Hand in your notice and do something else for a living. If all the teachers who complain actually put their money where their mouth is and quit, things might actually change. But no matter how much they change, one thing would remain the same. Teachers would still be moaning and complaining. Because they always do.

I think I'd rather be a teacher moaning about an unfit system, than be a member of the public moaning about teachers moaning.

I was a teacher.

I've never been a nurse, or a farmer, or an accountant, or a pilot, or a social worker, or...well anything else, bar some student jobs. Nor do I have any interaction most days with any of those people.

So I don't come on here and tell any posters from those occupations what their job is like, how they should do it, or how they should be assessed.
Consequently those posters don't need to defend themselves from me or from other posters, or tell me that I'm wrong about what their job entails.

However, the majority of mumsnetters are mothers, and (rightly) invested in their child's school. But what they see of the school is like the swan analogy. They see the smooth (hopefully) results of the effort that staff put in, but don't know the details of how it all happens, the work, the rules, the training, the finances etc, all the flapping feet under the water. Just like any other profession.

What happens behind the scenes is incredibly complex. To be honest, school staff vary in what they understand of each other's roles. I know my TAs didn't know the detail behind all that I had to do and the reasoning behind it. Many teachers have little idea of what the head has to do beyond what they see her/him do. And there's a massive amount in leadership that we don't see (my late DH was a deputy head, so I did know).

So. There are constantly (and understandably) posts on here where mumsnetters who don't work in schools make posts that include inaccuracies or information that's simply wrong. They maybe have opinions based on misinformation.Teachers then come on to explain that they're mistaken, and suddenly "teachers are moaning again".

I would hope and expect that if I misunderstood part of the role of a mumsnetter in a different profession, they'd put me. But there simply isn't the volume of posts about farmers, accountants, pilots, nurses etc, for that to be noticed or for a whining mentality to ascribed to any of those professions.

tldr: there are lots of parents and teachers on here, and not as many people who are from, or who want to moan about, other professions..

it's your job. Do it. Or don't do it. Hand in your notice and do something else for a living. If all the teachers who complain actually put their money where their mouth is and quit, things might actually change.

You'll be glad to know that that is exactly what's happening. I hope you don't have children in school who risk not having a teacher next year.

Teachers are paid for by the public, by way of taxes. Anyone who pays taxes is entitled to their opinion on what teachers do. Effectively we are the bosses, they are the employees. Kids are leaving school unable to cope with the adult world. Not all the fault of teachers, there are a lot of useless parents out there that are probably more to blame.

So what are people saying? Other than you whinging about teachers supposedly moaning.

You know it's rather ironic for you to say teachers aren't listening while you accuse teachers of claiming their struggles are unique. No one has said this.

What a truly stupid opinion. Do you see yourself as the boss of the MPs? The police? Nhs staff? Wow.

You’re jumping the shark, mate.

By that logic, I was my own boss.

I'm just so tired of saying the same thing on threads.

It's been a tough week.

Why don't teachers pay attention to what people are saying and address those issues

I think that’s what teachers are doing, isn’t it? We see the issues every day - not enough teachers; not enough teachers in viral subjects; exhausted and burned out teachers; teachers leaving the profession; insufficient resource for SEN; services like CAMHS stretched beyond the limit and this schools trying to fill the gap but doing it less well than the experts; having to jump through hoops for Ofsted rather than doing what is best for children; increasingly poor behaviour due to overstretched staff, no referral services and insufficient support for SEN; curricula that match what the Government/ Ofsted want but not what children need.

Those are sone of the issues that everyone can see. If teachers address them - publicise them, talk about them, worry about them, because we don’t have the power as class / subject teachers to change them - are we moaning? Or addressing the issues that affect education that need urgent attention?

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/26/colleague-had-heart-attack-in-front-of-me-horrific-toll-of-ofsted-inspections?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

So as a teacher and a tax payer I pay myself? 🤔 going to give myself a pay rise. Cheers @Florenz!

What an idiotic thing to say. Truly one of the stupidest things I've read on here in a long time.

Teachers pay tax too you know, so should we also get a day in how people spend their money? Those who get child benefit or any other form of government money, should we have a say?

And that's exactly what a lot of teachers are doing. I gather you don't read the newspapers and media regarding the staffing crisis in education - in both secondary and primary, and in many subject areas. A crisis is no just retention but now also hitting the actual training of teachers.

It's really easy to say just leave. But who will teach your children eventually when they've all followed this advice and left?

And yes most professions also have monitoring but few have such an intense, unreliable, very public and often pointless system as part of that. Dh is a solicitor and had inspection and monitoring. Whilst it can be stressful in the day it is nothing like ofsted. He remains completely baffled by the ofsted process and what it actually achieves.

Maybe it would have helped if the governors had come clean to the school community immediately. They must have known this finding and their inadequacy would ensure the school was inadequate. The head knew too. So management of the situation should have been better.

So you agree that aspects of the current system in inadequate and not appropriate then?
If they'd been allowed to talk about it this headteacher might still be alive with her family now.

We had ofsted 3 weeks ago. We know the result. However it is still not allowed to be discussed. The draft report is in but it can't be mentioned. Once ofsted has been in you simply are not allowed to speak about the result at all. Part of the toxicity around ofsted is this long period where nothing can be discussed or people told. We have parents asking us most days but have to hold a level of secrecy for weeks.

The public is entitled to an opinion on education which is a significant spend. To belittle and reduce other's opinions isn't good. We're not a classroom of students that you can lecture without response. Many of the teachers I know drifted into teaching as they didn't know what else to do post-uni. Some dropped out, not because of salary or conditions, but because they just didn't have the attitude or desire to teach.

I would direct more money to education. Not to salary increases though which are generous.

Many sectors have skill shortages at the moment not just teaching and there are many reasons for this. Teachers are important but let's keep things in perspective, brain surgeons they are not!

And you know what?
Teachers pay taxes too.
And have children who use the system.
Teacher's taxes also help pay for the system.
So yes, they can have an opinion as well.
And as they are in the system day in day out they can say what is really happening inside those buildings, not just the covered up version most people get to see.

And you'll be pleased to know - lots are following your advice and leaving.

I gather you don't read the newspapers and media regarding the staffing crisis in education - in both secondary and primary, and in many subject areas

Florenz has posted this dross on many a thread about schools and had it pointed out many times that this crisis is happening. One can only guess as to why Florenz keeps doing this.

Whenever there’s anti-teacherrhetoric the painters always seem to know “many teachers”. I also know many many teachers being one of 23 years, married to one and have family members who are. I guarantee that know hundreds of teachers - how many do you really know that you can comment on their choices to teach? Sample of 1?

now this thread is to discuss. Ofsted toxicity. Piss odd to another thread @Callmenat if you want to bash teachers.

*posters

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LMbw9QIXXKkeqG2sFl9vKR3-CRdvkJjPdvhGfJf4Sx8/viewform?edit_requested=true&fbclid=IwAR2ESNMsn-rZEP7gEhFBBvhtCUGaHhjZYCRRSptO-EJMEDIwARG8ldOS1Xc

Hundreds of responses - very few positive, many harrowing.