Ofsted - so bleeding what?!

[Moomin]

WE had our Ofsted call yesterday - the inspectors are coming on Tuesday and the senior staff at our school are running round winding everyone up like nobody's business. All the younger staff that I mentor are getting seriously stressed and talking about going into school Sat and Sun, FFS! IT's only for ONE day; there are only TWO inspectors and they'll probably only go to 3 lessons max. The Head actually told us yesterday to be positive at all times on Tuesday, even we can only manage it for one day. I reckon they'll be locking me in a cupboard Tuesday lunchtime in case I bump into an inspector and inadvertently blurt out what a prize dickhead our Head is!

Email your thoughts about Ofsted to me, Moomin, at www.dontgiveaflyingfuckaboutofsted.co.uk/BOTHERED

I'm with you, Moomin! One school I worked at they had the TAs tippexing the staples on the displays to make it look neater. No word of a lie. Fuss and nonsense.

Good for you Moomin. Ofsted is a load of crap. Why don't they just go into schools without warning them FFS.

Oh the joys of OFSTED! I thought the short otice was supposed to reduce the stress and extra work management rried to pile on everyoene else in the run up.

My last OFSTED was on my very last day of teaching ever. The class I had during my inspection told the inspector that I was leaving that day. Inspector asked me where I was going to. His face was fantastic when I simply answered "prison!"

Lucky you - you are obviously one of those people who go through life not worrying about anything.

Others however might be nervous, or afraid that they will be told they're no good. In an already pressured job, it does add to the stress.

Only the management will be told they're no good.

Surely each lesson they observe (therefore each teacher) is graded good/excellent etc?

My head told me they will only be judging the senior management team when they come in.

I don't think individual teachers get results/scores anymore. Just a final at the end saing x% of lessons were excellent, etc.

Seen a new style OFSTED report recently and they read very diffierently and marked very differently.

A new style OFSTED report

what does that mean, pyjamaqueen? [puzzled]

Of course I worry about things, just not school at the moment, and I resent the senior staff winding the younger staff up (I had two of them almost in tears about their lesson plans after school last night, even though Ofsted don't even observe NQTs) just because of the way the Head had banged on at everyone about habing all lesson plans and schemes of work to hand; reading and memorising school data, that they don't even understand yet - or need to. I think it's really irresponsible of the senior staff - as stated before, it's the senior team that should be taking all the flack - they should be running round like headless chickens behind closed doors not winding everyone up. The school is very good, the staff are great and I think they need positive vibes to make them proud of their work and their pupils, not being terrorised.

and LOL about the staples - would be even funnier if it wasn't so bloody bloody stupid

Oh God, it was what finished me off in the end (during my brief foray into teaching). One term into the job I had an Ofsted inspection and the stress we were put under by our bosses was ridiculous. I worked 14 hour days for about 3 weeks to prepare for this nasty little suit to peer through the pane of glass in my classroom door, smile and go off elsewhere. Great. What the fuck were all the unnecessary folders full of paperwork I will NEVER use for, then?

Moomin, please feel free to respond at:

www.ofstdekilledmyloveforteaching.com/notanotherbloodygovernmentinitiativesurely.html

We had Ofsted just before half term. I was really glad we only had a few days' notice - but there was still long enough for everyone to get stressed and panicky.

Ours inspected loads of lessons though: big school, we had 4 inspectors for 2 whole days. They spent 1.5 days most of them in classes for most of the time, doing 30 min inspections.

Fortunately they didn't ask to speak to me, as I'm far too honest

My PGCE tutor was an ofsted inspector and she couldnt have taught a class if her life depended in in.

Pity the staff at our place - we're climbing out of special measures and they're here once a term.

You've got exactly the right attitude Moomin. We had our inspection in May. We got our call on the Tuesday and they came in on Thursday and friday. I was a nervous wreck from Tues-Fri am and really ballsed up the 20 mins of the lesson they saw we teaching in my non specialism (typical) However, I had a revelation on the Thursday night and just thought why should these three stupid old men who hadn't taught for years make me feel this bad and felt great the next day when of course they came nowhere near me!!

It was a paper and data exercise to be honest. They wanted figures to show achievement and that was it. They didn't give a shit about what was going on in the classroom. Wrong wrong wrong.

God, poor you Saggar

Am hoping to leave next term as Head has behaved atrociously towards me and other part-timers recently and I've had enough. WOuld love to behave really badly if I come across any inspectors come Tuesday (as in sit with feet on desk with youtube on whiteboard [something with someone showing their arse or painting a picture with their willy or somesuch] and letting pupils draw on each other / climb int and out of windows, etc.