Join us for a webchat with Ofsted's Chief Inspector of Education Sir Michael Wilshaw – 11.30-12.30, Tuesday 9 September 2014

[VikkiMumsnet]

As the academic year in England, Wales and NI gets underway, we're pleased to welcome Sir Michael Wilshaw into MNHQ for a webchat on Tuesday 8th September, for an hour from 11.30am.

As Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England since 2012, Sir Michael's responsibilities cover every aspect of Ofsted's work, from inspections to exams, reporting on the quality of education and children's services at both local and national level. His former career includes 43 years in teaching, with 26 spent as a head teacher in London secondary schools – most recently as Executive Principal at Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney.

You can catch up with Sir Michael's most recent views on everything from poverty to private schools here.

Post your questions for Sir Michael below, and be sure to join us live on the 8th, from 11.30am.

Re the holiday absences how is it some children like my son can have the equivalent of over a week off on enrichment courses,sporting and music events whilst others like his sister(non sporty,non musical etc can't)?

Doesn't enrichment count for all?

Hello.

Our local sixth form college (academy) is rated outstanding, but there are a lot of problems there with management, not getting in supply teachers and being so far behind that they are still teaching the curriculum the day before AS/A2 exams are due to be sat.

The worst thing they do, IMO, is when they are doubtful that students are not going to pass their exams they enter them as External candidates. This enables them to carry on boasting that they got 100% pass rate, when in fact they didn't. What can be done about this? Everyone is being lied to and it is not really fair is it?

Oops really sorry,just sorry just seen it's only one question per member.Take your pick!

Ah yes, just read that in the small print. Sorry. I've asked two... .

I would like to know how you justify your comments that 2 year olds should be in a school setting not at the 'local childminder'. Do you see a conflict between this statement and your role as head of OFSTED. Why don't you feel childminders have a role to play in the education of this nation's two year olds? .

I have a horde of burning questions about the dire state of education in this country at the moment (not meaning the schools or the teachers, but the politics!), but I will try to keep it brief...

What is your opinion of the current government dogma that becoming an academy is the only way to improve a school in special measures? This is clearly not the case as in (sadly rare) exceptions, schools have gone from SM to good and outstanding without going down the academy route.

What do you think of the role of academy brokers and the DfE in forcing schools to become academies against the will of headteachers, staff and parents?

Do you admit that Ofsted tipped certain academy chains off about when individual schools would be inspected?

How are we supposed to trust judgements made by what appears to be a politicised and politically motivated system?

And one last one - do you agree that schools should not be run for profit?

I would like to ask, why does the CEO of our governing body be so against it's members by stating that 2 year olds are better suited to attending a school nursery setting rather than 'just the local Childminder' I am, as are many thousand other childminders, outraged at your dismissive degrading comment! You certainly have made it very clear you do not have any faith in the work we do and have let a nation know that we are not up to the job. I for one find this comment from you deeply insulting. Well done! I would appreciate your response

I had hoped that the comment you made about childminders in the Evening Standard last week was misquoted but it appears it was not.
As an Outstanding Ofsted Registered Childminder I feel completely demoralised, I am tired of defending myself and my job.Having had years of Liz Truss's ill conceived ideas and her lack of listening to the people who know what they are talking about and now with your complete lack of understanding of the vital role we play in early years., my days in childcare are numbered I really can't take any more there has to be a less stressful way to earn a living

Why did you undermine the importance of Childminders to the world when you made that rude and flippant remark about two year olds being better placed in schools? Any parent or childcare professional will tell you that you are wrong, even those that work in schools disagree with you. The two year olds I know and love are learning about themselves as individuals, learning to talk, physical skills like walking and climbing stairs, learning to share, show love and all these basic skills that we know are key foundations for their future.Yyou are going against all known teaching and plonking them in a harsh school setting. WHY???????

Dear Sir Michael

Take a school with a very good Ofsted report, which includes high scores for pastoral related care.

The same school, on results day, has no provision for students who haven't done well - no signposting, no advice, nothing.

Does the care offered to disappointed students matter to Ofsted in the sense that, were it known, it might affect how it perceives a school's 'pastoral care' ?

I'm sure (I hope!) that Ofsted takes a holistic view and that were such disregard for students who hadn't performed well known, it would be concerned.

OFSTED REGISTERED CHILDMINDER AND EARLY YEARS TEACHER
Sir Michael, as I will be working with children tomorrow between 11.30 and 12.30 and am unlikely to be able to join your webchat at that time, I will share my views with you now. Yes I was disappointed and insulted by your comments in the Evening Standard recently. I feel that the insinuation that for a parent to choose a home-based setting (registered childminder) or as you called it a 'local childminder' is a somewhat inferior choice to a school-based nursery is ill-informed. There are high quality and low quality providers in every type of setting and your job should be to try and make sure that as many providers are high quality as possible, in all types of setting. To make the assumption that childminders cannot provide high quality early years teaching is, as I say, ill-informed. I am not only a 'local childminder' but an Early Years Teacher and I pride myself on offering an experience second to none for the children on roll at my setting and the childrens' outcomes are testimony to this. In your role, you should be impartial and should be praising all types of high quality setting as well as supporting all those who are not quite there to be better than they are. Schools clearly serve their purpose and you will also of course be seeking to raise standards there but where early education is concerned I have to say that I believe that a home environment is where young children (under 3s) will thrive most. This is of course subject to individual children and by leaving choices open to parents then you give the setting and the parent the opportunity to make that decision based on the needs of each child. If you genuinely want to improve outcomes for children then you MUST look at improving skills and qualifications for practitioners in every type of setting and giving them real opportunities to do this. The bricks and mortar of a school, a home or a private nursery are not really what counts its the quality of the practice within in it.

Do you think that the previous Chair of Ofsted Zenna Atkins was a short-lived political appointment under Labour that went horribly wrong, or was she a forgotten hero?

Please could you explain why 'GHOST' lessons are allowed at state comprehensives. This is where a lesson is timetabled to fulfil the requirements of the national curriculum, but...

• The teacher does not turn up.
• There is no work set / no work has to be handed in.

- The students are not required to be there.

How can these kids compete for university places?

Dear Sir Michael
Many families miss out on their only time together when parents aren't working, their only chance to visit family overseas (especially if it's a long distance abroad), because of school attendance rules. I know that there is evidence that long term, persistent absence can affect attainment (but of course persistent absence is very likely confounded with other factors including poverty, household disruption, frequent moves, and these may well cause the drop in attainment!).
I don't think sufficient evidence exists that the occasional trip to a museum, visit to a parent or grandparents thousands of miles away or trip abroad to a wedding/funeral/important event will impact attainment, particularly if parents do something educational during the trip and are generally supportive of their childrens' education.
Even if we believe that missing any school is certain to be detrimental, no matter what activities replace the school time missed, and we are certain to the point of fining people and assessing schools differently over the matter, then surely we should also not permit schools to spend time letting the children watch Disney movies or do other time-fillers just before the end of term. After all, whatever they are doing should be optimal. All the time. Families sacrifice a lot to have the children attend, particularly those last few days (which can make the difference between that trip to family in India/Canada/China/Africa feasible or not, for example).

My question: on what evidence are the strict attendance rules, and assessment of school quality on attendance, based? How have researchers controlled for poverty, conditions at home, and other factors that would confound results? Would you consider relaxing these rules? And if not, why aren't independent schools (apparently) subject to the same constraints? If 95%+ attendance is so important, then children in independent schools should not be disadvantaged by more relaxed attendance rules. That we don't see them as disadvantaged just highlights how silly the current system is.

Why is it SEN pupils get special attention and above average pupils are left to stew? Many thanks

SEN children don't get special attention, at least nothing above babysitting and segregation lest they interfere with the school's opportunity to perform in league tables. That is indeed hailed as special attention and 'support' but the reality is nothing of the sort.

Why do you think that many state schools have little understanding of the eduational needs of children with a high IQ (eg 140 plus) thus are failing to provide suitable work to challenge and ensure that they make one year's progress in all their subjects, resulting in many parents withdrawing their children from the state sector or putting up with a substandard service.

(PS SEN children do not get special attention an some headteachers would not follow the now superceded SENcode of practice, but as I was only allowed one question, I guessed that others would ask that one for me)

I would like to ask how you reconcile your comments of the weekend -"'With poor families now getting 15 hours free provision of childcare, the Government should try to ensure they go to a school-based nursery, not the local childminder' - with Ofsted's stated remit to be "independent and impartial"? And following that comment, what faith you would expect childminders (78% of whose provision is rated Good/Outstanding) to have in the impartiality, support and judgement of the Inspectorate?

Just two of my parent highlights after one day back at an outstanding primary school - visited by Ofsted 6 years ago, since which time it has had 3 HTs and only one original teacher remains.

Medication Control - First day back, I asked for last year's medication for DD to be returned. Secretary hunted in the medicine cabinet and couldn't find it - did find meds for children who have left the school. At end of the day I was verbally informed last year's teacher took it home and it will be returned to me tomorrow. In social care settings this would be cause for dismissal.

Behaviour - Day one Ds (Y6) received first hit to his head this year, by his new seating partner - the same child who in the last 2 years has delivered various punches, repeated kicks to the groin, and hit my child in the face with an allergen which led to breathing difficulties and me being called to school. Of 9 serious incidents recorded in 12 months, when a governor investigated only one of those incidents was recorded in the behaviour file - Ds was not considered to have been bullied. HT's failure to record has been interpreted as an absence of incidents.

Under the current HT my child learned being punched and kicked is always an 'accident' and telling leads to bullying for 'snitching'. Since last year he no longer wants to speak up.

Parents across schools speak of bullying/behaviour that is endemic across schools; they become inured, accepting lower standards of behaviour as the norm.

It is unacceptable for children to feel anxious at school because of other children's behaviour. Schools, part of the safeguarding system, are themselves failing to provide environments for children where they can feel safe from fear and physical violence. More needs to be done. Improve the identification, recording and management of behaviour/bullying in schools.

Recognise that the Anti-bullying awards are meaningless and self-congratulatory ways for county councils to say their schools are safe environments handling behaviour well - our HT recently secured an anti-bullying award for the school.

Parent-school partnership needs to become a reality which allows genuine, recorded feedback from parents. Right now the only recorded voice we have is parent surveys - poorly constructed, and analysed and reported by HTs. It is not enough.

So, my questions:

1. Does the above seem a reasonable experience in an outstanding school?
2. Does it seem a reasonable experience in any school?
3. Is Ofsted identifying HTs who game the system by hiding evidence?
4. Is Ofsted going to inspect every school after a change in HT?
5. Is Ofsted going to give governors of state-maintained schools the same rights to access data/systems as those in academies and improve governor oversight?
6. What is being done to improve behaviour / bullying in schools to make them safer environments?
7. How can parents become more involved in education and raising standards?

Above average kids aren't "left to stew"

8. why are you sending your kid to such a terrible school ?

ATTENDANCE

Dear sir, my only question is why are schools encouraged to hit attendance targets. Many children require hospital appointments. Then children do get sick and for Heath and safety reasons need to stay off school e.g vomiting bug.

I feel the way schools reward pupils with free days out and rewards is not acceptable.

I'm afraid that I haven't got time to read the thread, so apologies if I am repeating what someone else has said.

School Ofsted inspections happen very quickly these days - blink and you miss it. Part of the inspection is asking for parents' views, which I believe are very important because they know the impact that the school is having on their DC and will report problems that the school may try to hide or gloss over.
So why do parents' questionnaires rely on the DC bringing home paperwork? We all know that DC are bad at passing on information (eg the minor matter that an inspection is even taking place!) and that paperwork languishes for days in bookbags, often never seeing the light of day. The chances are that the Inspectors will be long gone by the time the parent is aware of (a) the inspection and (b) the questionnaire.

Can we please have the questionnaire sent directly to parents by e-mail.

Prediction for today...... Sir Michael will dismiss all the local childminders comments and as most of us local childminders will be working we won't be able to demand answers!

After receiving two 'outstanding providers' letters and certificates this year signed by sir Michael Wilshaw I'm now wondering if they are even worth the paper they are written on