OFSTED spoke to DD alone

[Ineedsleepnotsugar]

Why the need to speak to her on her own in a separate room? How is this justified? I dont see the need for it and it matthews me feel uncomfortable.
Dd is 6.
She said the inspector asked her to read a book to her and then asked her time table as. And also asked her if she liked her school.

They did this at ours. They wanted each staff member to be observed reading to ensure that it was consistent. They want to see that all staff are doing the exact same thing when reading with a child.

Since when were schools never 1:1 with a child? I don't think that's the case at all.

Normal for an inspector to speak to DC privately, I think. They won't be forcing anxious kids into a room with a stranger, only those who are happy to do it.

If teachers are never allowed to be alone with a child, that could actually be very bad from a safeguarding perspective. That would be another group of trusted adults crossed of the list of those available to confide in. Was your daughter unhappy about the experience? I can see your point if she was upset about it.

Not all have windows

When we had ofsted all pupil meetings took place either in a group, on chairs in an open corridor or with a member of school staff sat in the corner of the room.

That's exactly what I thought.

Where did you get this from teachers are alone with children all the time.

Seriously?

Of course the children at school know who or what ofsted is when they are in their school.

Crazy isn't it? Quite laughable to think that people think a teacher could never be on their own with a child.

It shows the naivety of some people. For those that don't know schools get a phonecall from Ofsted quite often the day before the visit. Then all the children will be told............ Then all the staff rush round like crazy to get everything in order.

I have never ever heard of staff not supposed to be 121 with pupils in any school I’ve ever worked in. Our school would grind to a halt if it was the case. From a whole host of interventions to safe guarding conversations, daily spats in the playground and private conversations.

What an absurd OP.

Our intervention rooms don’t have windows and considering most schools I know can barely afford heating and are in a state of disrepair that isn’t likely to change any time soon.

Our children don’t get told and my kids weren't told either in their schools. Parents do.Visitors is the expression used but that is the same term used for governors, staff and anybody else not usually in the classroom.

And the timeless classic 'teacher tried to discipline my child, how dare she, that's MY job, irrespective of the fact that I have never done it and never will'.

It's certainly not uncommon for teachers (secondary at least) to be advised to be wary of being alone in a closed classroom with an individual pupil, but imo that is really for the teacher's protection (against malicious complaints or potentially against physical assault by a student).

Yes! Absolutely!
I've sometimes wondered why the emphasis is to terrify decent people into minimising any contact with a child.

@Qilin a 6 year might get told “This is Miss Smith. She is an ofsted inspector” but they don’t KNOW what that exactly is. Because they are 6 YEARS OLD !
Some 6 year olds don’t even know what their parents do for a job. They might know the job title or the name of the company they work for but they don’t know what their parents actually do.

NeedmoreLego - that's not really my experience. Most of our children, aged 4-7y seemed to understand who OFSTED were when they visited. But then the majority would also be able to tell us their parents jobs and much more. We are just an average city centre state infant school.

There will always be some who aren't sure about these things but my experience is most children would have a decent grasp by 6y,

The majority parents definitely spoke to their children about the ofsted inspectors coming in based in some of the comments we received, and school also explained that we were having special visitors coming in to talk to teachers and children, to listen to children read, to watch some lessons and to see what we did best as a school.

The children may not be told the name OFSTED but the inspectors all wear visible ID. By 6y the majority of our children co]an read these. We also have a lot of parents linked to education in some way so may be even more,likely to be aware.

@queenofthebongo , this is not about one or tso adolts. This is about a child being alone with one or two persons who can leave a serious impression on them, about sectioning one child of from a group. OFSTED should only question a child in the presence of a trusted adult - the teacher or a parent.

I'm surprised - I've only known children to be interviewed in small groups by Ofsted inspectors or to read one-to-one to their teacher or TA whilst the inspector observes. I don't think it's bad in a safeguarding way, but I think it sounds unnecessarily stressful for a child of 6. I would be bothered rather than worried if it was my own child. If I was the headteacher or class teacher I would question why it was necessary. But the staff may have been very stressed and not thinking clearly or feeling confident enough at the time.

I am giving up on this thread. I don’t know how to explain to some of you that, sadly, more often than any of us want to admit, the teacher or the parent can be the problem and that children deserve the opportunity to talk about this.

OP you are correct - no adult should be alone with a child. End of story.

@ThanksItHasPockets o.k., I can see your point. But how about the child could choose a person to be present at the interview? Maybe a friend? I'm just thinking it's probably frightening being interrogated with nobody familiar with you?

This.

FoodFan
So you wish all schools to not function.