18-year career as an Ofsted inspector ended by a single email

[nodramaplease]

Ofsted have decided in their wisdom to annul my accreditation as an inspector because never having been a teacher, I apparently can't judge teaching. So, hey, having done so for the past 18 years and having passed every quality assessment they threw at me apparently they were wrong all the time! An unblemished career ended by a single email. Presumably this also means that every inspection any of us non-teachers has ever done is also invalid, and also every grading, despite them having been approved by our lead inspectors and higher authorities? But never mind logic, let's just score a cheap brownie point with the teaching unions -- don't worry about whether we're actually good inspectors or not. I am sad and angry: it was a huge privilege to witness so many lessons (600+ inspections). I'd like to say a huge cheer for the many fantastic teachers this country has got, and I hope that those who didn't do quite so well found our conversations helpful.

I'm really sorry. I'd seek legal advice about this. There's a three month deadline should you wish to take them to a tribunal to challenge this so you need to be quick. ACAS can offer you more advice.

gosh, i'm so sorry. i'm not sure that professions should always be judged by their own, tbh. fresh eyes are sometimes the best thing. do challenge it, it sounds a real shame. and by email? rubbish.

I am in agreement with Ofsted (having a funny twitch actually saying that ). If I am having my lessons observed and judged (which will affect my career) then I would expect that the judge to be someone who had taught previously.

Whilst I would listen to the observations made by inspector as it is always helpful to have fresh eyes looking at the teaching and learning in my lessons (despite the ridiculous criteria which should be covered in a hour long lesson and therefore very limited learning as we have to jump through so many hoops in order to get the ticks, but that's another thread completely) I would not be happy at all that I would be judged by someone who hasn't done the job themselves and understand all the intricacies that impact on a lesson

The OP has done this job for 18 years though, cricketballs. Surely that means something?

I think it's ridiculous to get rid of someone with as much experience as you and if I were you I'd challenge it as I'm sure after 18 years you know what you're doing.

This does not contradict that perhaps Ofsted inspectors should be former teachers - and they can easily do that for new entrants.

Fine, make that adjustment now.

the op though has judged for 18 years - never actually stepped in front of 30 students and taught a lesson so no matter how good and experienced she may be the fact is she hasn't any experience of teaching and as yet her judgements affect my career

Sorry I agree with cricketballs (can't bring myself to say I agree with Ofsted). How would you like your competence to be judged by someone who has never ever done your job?
OP I do have sympathy for you personally but the system was wrong.

We don't know what training nodramaplease had - after all, Usain Bolt's coach can't run as fast as him! And not all people in training in many occupations have actually done the job, but they do know what you are supposed to do.

It's very sad that your career has ended this way and do think that if Ofsted are making these changes they should be for new entrants into the inspecting profession.

However

I do have to agree with cricketballs and mrz. A few years ago, early in my career I got a 'satisfactory' from Ofsted (my NQT year) and almost felt like jacking it in. I had received 1s and 2s in terms of grading from my own departmental inspections (qualified and experienced teachers) and a non-teacher came along and told me I was 'satisfactory'. The feedback was unreasonable and couldn't have feasibly been put into practice (under-funded adult education in a run down community centre with limited resources but very engaged students) and a teacher would have realised this and would have been able to judge pedagogy and learning experiences. I didn't let it put me off though and went on to do loads of CPD including a Masters in Education and now train teachers myself.

All my inspections since have been 'good' or 'excellent' and to think that after a bad report from a non-teacher I was ready to leave the teaching profession which I had worked hard to enter (a year working as a TA, voluntary work teaching literacy to the homeless and a full on PGCE)

Thanks to everybody for your responses. I would just like to say to teachertrainer80 that ANY competent inspector should have recognised the context you were in. It definitely sounds like a misjudgment. and I am delighted to hear that you ignored it and moved on successfully. I do see how teachers feel about non-teachers: however, as Housemum points out, you don't have to be a great runner to be a great coach, nor do you have to regularly perform with the RSC to be a great theatre critic. I have always felt that observing a lesson is very akin to observing a performance: how does the 'star' inspire and move his/her audience and carry them with her/him? There are very few of us 'lay inspectors' left in the game because the possibility of taking on this role only existed for about three years when Ofsted was first established, and for this reason we are all very experienced. We've also had to pass every test put to every other (ex-teacher) inspector to get our accreditation renewed every year. It may be (I really don't know) that as has been claimed in the press that other non-teaching inspectors exist apart from us oldies, but I've never come across them. I would also like to point out that after every inspection we (all inspectors) are reported on by our lead inspectors. Peer approval is the best approval -- if I hadn't been doing my job to their satisfaction I assure you I'd have been out on my neck long ago and deservedly so.

Incidentally, there were certainly some 'rogue' inspectors in the very early days of Ofsted who made the schools they visited very unhappy (I know of some cases in Wiltshire, for instance) but all those I know of were, unfortunately, ex-teachers. In every profession there are those who can abuse authority to make the lives of those in their power miserable, and this is always unforgiveable.

I'm sorry, I agree with Ofsted mrz et al too - I only want to be judged by someone who knows the challenges and rewards of teaching.

I should have said 'firsthand' at the end of that sentence, distracted by ds!

I am judged by people (the FSA) who have never done my job. If I get stuff wrong or misjudge something, I not only lose my job, but criminal penalties could apply.

I don't have a problem with FSA inspectors not having done my job. They have more knowledge of the regulatory regime than I have - that's their job and mine is to serve my clients in an appropriate fashion.

In the OP's case there is delivery (teaching) and evaluation (Ofsted) and obviously each influences the other but I don't see a problem with such an experienced inspector never having taught, as long as they have sensitivity and awareness as the OP obviously has. I'm sorry this has happened to you, OP.

Why thank you, drjohnsonscat! It might amuse you to know that when I first ever had any training from Ofsted in 1994, a group of us were sent to an Actual School where of course we were about as welcome as a plate of cold sick. One teacher said menacingly to a fellow trainee 'How would you feel if you had total outsiders telling you how to do your job' to which he replied courteously that actually, it happened to him all the time from a number of different quarters, as he was just retiring as Assistant Commissioner of the Met!

I disagree with cricketballs. It's a similar concept to an auditor. An auditor will most definitely not have done any or all of the roles he or she will be required to audit, but that makes the person no less effective at the role

I agree with allnewtaketwo completely and not having been a teacher allows some objectivity surely? And don't parents on here judge schools/techers/etc all the time without ever having taught?

Don't worry, you can go and get a job as a teacher- you don't have to be qualified to do that any more according to Govy!

"And don't parents on here judge schools/techers/etc all the time without ever having taught?"

And what a fantastic job they make of it!

I totally hate Ofsted. And don't think they have the right to judge anybody. I'm sorry you have lost your job. I think that a non teachers input could be useful. And have they the right to just dismiss you like this.

I don't agree with the opinion that an ofsted inspector should necessarily be a teacher, although I do recognise the argument. I would have no problem at all being 'judged' by an inspector who has 18 years knowledge and experience of observing teachers across a range of schools.
Many teachers stay in the same type of school within the same LEA. There are also teachers who stay within the one school and teach only within one key stage. I have also worked with some teachers who teach the same year group year in, year out.
I know this isn't true of all schools and all teachers, but it's not uncommon based on my own experience as a teacher.
It's ironic though isn't it, if ofsted inspectors suddenly have to be qualified teachers, if teachers in academies no longer have to be qualified.

How would you like your competence to be judged by someone who has never ever done your job?

This happens all the time in business! Some examples - I'm reviewed by my manager who has never done my job. Audited by external and internal agencies/departments.

Personally I like having a fresh pair of eyes and someone's views on my work and department who's not directly involved. They can often bring very useful suggestions, ideas and insights.

I'm sorry that you have lost your job in such a brutal way, OP.

There is a certain irony that at the very time that academies do not need to employ qualified teachers, OFSTED will only employ qualified teachers.

Ooh you're brave. Id never admit to being part of the dreaded 'O'!

You do have my sympathies really for your own situation it dows seem really unfair but i have to admit i agree with them. I wouldnt tell a doctor or fireman how to do their job so dont really appreciate advice giveb by non-teachers regardless of years of experience. Are they removing all non-teaching/lay inspectors then?

Seeker I think that's where the teaching profession starts to do itself a disservice. I would love to see teachers open themselves up to this stuff a bit more - and show openness to what the (horrible phrase) service users (parents and to a lesser extent, children) think as well as Ofsted.

I think that my children's teachers do a fantastic job and I am almost always amazed at their professionalism and their skill. Plus their tact at dealing with some of the atrocious parents they come across. But some of the things that parents have to say are valuable but there is a slight sense of "you're not teachers so what do you know?".

I can see places where public sector workers do this really well (my previous dr's surgery which was very responsive and alert to customer needs) and places where they don't (my current dr's surgery which pays very little regard to the needs of the customers and when issues are raised, the shutters come down because they are in charge).

Teaching is a really important profession but sometimes the kneejerk reactions of the teaching unions make it look like an old school work to rule type profession.

You would soon know about it if teachers ever did start to work to rule, drjohnsonscat!

I don't think teachers ever would, not properly.