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Original poster

As a parent do you regard Ofsted ratings as important?

75 replies

MrsMarigold · 31/03/2015 17:09

I couldn't give a damn as I think the reports don't look at what is really important to me, but I know some parents use it as a basis for school selection which I find worrying.

OP posts:

Heels99 · 31/03/2015 17:11

Yes.

TywysogesGymraeg · 31/03/2015 17:13

Important, yes. But not the be all and end all. Other factors come into p!any too.

Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 31/03/2015 17:13

No. I didn't when my children were in school. Now I work in a school, I know what incredible hard work goes into the school trying to be the best it can be. It's a thankless and draining task.

Donatellalymanmoss · 31/03/2015 17:14

No I live in NI we don't have them

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 31/03/2015 17:16

Yes, but I'm good at reading between the lines of the reports to see what they really mean and whether that is a relevant consideration for me. Eg a KS1 in decline is less of a concern if my children are all in KS2

BathtimeFunkster · 31/03/2015 17:16

No.

They are a pernicious drain on our system of education.

Gileswithachainsaw · 31/03/2015 17:20

Yes. not necessarily the verdict itself but what the report says.

If for instance results and safeguarding were good and kids were happy but they were marked down for administration then that wouldn't bother me.

However if attendance was poor and results below average I'd not give a crap about their outstanding features for pe.

All depends on what it says but I do feel it's a factor yes

Twoplus3 · 31/03/2015 17:24

Yes I've found the Ofsted reports and league tables paramount in choosing a school for my children. I've also gone to many open days/evenings to get a general feel for the school but I just wouldn't send my children to a failing school in special measures no matter what.

Timetoask · 31/03/2015 17:25

I find the reports very useful. Currently looking for a secondary special needs school and the ousted findings have been an excellent guide.

nancy75 · 31/03/2015 17:28

My child goes to a school that has been rated outstanding since time began. The school is awful and actually advises parents to get tutors for their children as they can't do what is needed.i will never judge a school based on ofsted again

neolara · 31/03/2015 17:29

Yes. I think sometimes ofsted don't get things right but I also think if a school gets into special measure / requires improvement and has a number of inspections over a relatively short period of time, and all these inspections come to the same conclusion, them ofsted probably have a point.

yomellamoHelly · 31/03/2015 17:32

Useful to give you a starting point for assessing whether a school is for you or not, but not the be all and end all.

ivykaty44 · 31/03/2015 17:32

no its not important to me

I choose a school that I thought would be suitable for my dd2 and the pastoral care has been excellent.

dd1 went to a school with excellent ofsted and it was awful, she hated school.

Gileswithachainsaw · 31/03/2015 17:35

yy neo

there's a school near me sadly our catchment school that's in fluctuates between RI and SM. reports always say the same things. can't all be wrong.

BackforGood · 31/03/2015 17:50

No. I know from experience over many, many years and many, many different schools and Nurseries that they have their own agenda, and that there is little correlation between their gradings and the quality of provision.
That's not to say I wouldn't read the text of the report - it often will pick up some issues you didn't know about, but I certainly wouldn't use an OFSTED grade as a benchmark.

fairyfuckwings · 31/03/2015 17:55

I do and I don't. My eldest 2 went to an "outstanding" school whereas my youngest goes to a "good" school. I much prefer the "good " school and my daughters really happy there. The academic progress isn't quite as good but the behaviour seems a lot better and my daughters not bullied which is more important to me.

I don't think I'd have applied for an "unsatisfactory" school though on all honesty.

MrsCakesPrecognitionisSwitched · 31/03/2015 17:56

As a headline, no not really.
As a report which gives me a starting point, yes definitely.

Goldmandra · 31/03/2015 18:04

Having worked in several early years setting and been present fo plenty of Ofsted inspections plus having had my own children in six different schools and seen all of their inspection preparations and reports, I realise how ridiculously subjective this reports are and would never give them any weight.

I have no doubt whatsoever that inspection results are far more about the planning that's put into the show they put on and ticking the right boxes on the paperwork than the everyday experience of the pupils. In fact, if you have a child with any sort of additional needs, a school with an outstanding Ofsted grading could be the worst place for them as they may see your child as a threat to their results.

Also, schools in special measures get a lot of support and money thrown at them and the staff are likely to be working very hard to make improvements which could mean that a new starter has an excellent experience.

I know inspectors say that they see through schools putting on a show but, in my experience, they don't at all.

ArcangelaTarabotti · 31/03/2015 18:06

No! There is a school near us that has a banner up telling us it is a 'good school' . Those of us who have known DC at it, and (like me) have even taught at it, know it is an utter shambles. So 'good' means nothing - wouldn't believe other ratings either.

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 31/03/2015 18:16

Nope. Won't pay attention to their reports when I come to choose a school for DS this year.

But then, I'm a teacher. So I know full well what absolute rubbish they are.

I've seen round one particular 'Outstanding' school in my local authority, who rave about it being something we should all aspire to. I hated it, found the spelling mistakes, knowledge of teachers and attitude to children shocking and would never send a child there.

In fact, I teach in an outstanding school, and I wouldn't send my child there either.

I will visit local schools and make a decision on what I see, how the school feels and whether I feel my son will be happy there. I don't care what Ofsted say about it, they know very little about education in my experience.

Goldmandra · 31/03/2015 18:25

I should have added that the 'outstanding' school my DD2 first attended caused so much harm to her mental health by refusing to acknowledge her additional needs or meet the terms of her statement that she is still being treated by CAMHS who are trying to undo the damage nearly three years later.

musicinspring1 · 31/03/2015 18:32

No. (Another teacher here. ) I put a school that was R.I. as first choice and am extremely happy with it. In fact, because it is R.I. It appears to do a lot more (parent coffee mornings, workshops, newsletters, enrichment activities for the children etc) comparable to the outstanding school up the road where my friends DC go. I think my school have to try harder and often my friend is envious!

Baddz · 31/03/2015 18:34

Nope!
Moved my son from an outstanding to a satisfactory school.
No regrets!

PotteringAlong · 31/03/2015 18:37

No. I don't look and don't read the reports.

lechie · 31/03/2015 18:46

I sort of use them in reverse, but wouldn't take them at face value.

I'll have a read, and look for the issues that OFSTED raises. Then I'll be conscious of those as I look around the school.

However, as a teacher, I know the goal posts change so frequently that the reports have no validity when comparing one school to another, as the report will depend on when it was written.

I'm also wary of listening to too much parental views too. Heard lots of parents rave about things I consider to be quite mediocre...

I tend to judge on what I'm looking for in a school and what's the best fit for us.

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