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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

How much notice do you take of OFSTED reports?

38 replies

CrapBag · 17/02/2011 21:16

DS isn't due to start school until next year but I have started to think about where I want to send him.

My closest school, and the best one in the area is Catholic. They take non Catholic children and it will be my first choice. I don't know what to put for second choice though. The next 2 schools in my area are not good and I don't want DS to go to either. I have looked into others around here that are rated good by OFSTED, all the others are satisfactory with some comments about behaviour etc that makes me not want to send DS.

Are people that bothered by OFSTED reports in general?

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UnSerpentQuiCourt · 17/02/2011 21:32

No. Schools dress themselves up for inspections, inspectors watch some teachers and not others, glib (but basically unsound) teachers can pull the wool over inspectors' eyes, a parent with a grievance can pull the grades down and it is all totally subjective anyway.

redskyatnight · 17/02/2011 22:15

After DC's school's last Ofsted report (which seemed to focus very highly on some points and ignore others and bears only a limited resemblance to the school I know) I will be ignoring them in future.

Original poster

CrapBag · 18/02/2011 12:10

Oh right. I should have remembered them from when I was at school and ours was put on special measures. I didn't think the school was that bad but there was definite room for improvment and some awful teachers there. Although as one of the ones who actually wanted to do well, I wasn't going to be affected by the badly behaved children, saying that, they did mess up science as there were loads of kids who didn't give a damn and the teachers constantly changing and couldn't control half the class, science was my worse subject funnily enough. Thats the sort of thing I get worried about when DS starts school. I won't send him to the 2 nearer ones though as some of the comments are of a concern.

OP posts:

PaperView · 18/02/2011 12:16

don't forget that it's out of date as soon as it is printed too. DH worked at a school where the most disruptive (or potentially disruptive) children were on a field trip on ofsted day.

sue52 · 18/02/2011 12:38

I'd look at the quality of teaching bit and glance through the rest.

nymphadora · 18/02/2011 12:54

Not a lot. Glance through regarding make up of the school rather than the inspectors observations on the day.

Meglet · 18/02/2011 12:59

We only had a choice between 3 'satisfactory' local primary schools (DS starts in Sept).

But on visiting them they were like different worlds. I have picked the one we liked the feel of the best. TBH I'm not sure why it doesn't have a higher rated OFSTED, but they are all 3 years out of date so it could all change this time.

PrinceRogersNelson · 18/02/2011 13:21

My DS school has just been rated satisfactory.

However - he is happy there and everything about pastoral care was 'good'. What shone out was the fact that the children were happy there.

The teaching could be better according to the report and I am not ignoring that fact - but it also stated that the school were aware of this and are making changes.

Read the report - but there is a big difference between and school that is going down and one that is going up.

Talk to local parents and go and see the school.

I want a school were kids behave and are happy first and foremost.

Horton · 18/02/2011 14:23

I did read all the OFSTED reports for the schools we were considering but didn't place too much weight on them. Visiting the schools, like Meglet says, amazed me in how different the schools felt. I picked the one that I felt had the least interest in results (eg SATS etc) and the most interest in making sure the children in their care are happy and secure.

A lot of parents don't like the one I liked best because it doesn't have a uniform. Personally I don't care what my daughter wears as long as she's happy.

AdelaofBlois · 18/02/2011 17:32

We found Ofsted very variable in terms of the 'headline' figures and, as one Head reminded us, often self-fulfilling in that schools with good reports attract certain kinds of parents and inaccurate (his school, the one I work at, is 'outstanding' but he is the only staff member remaining from when it was done and it was so good fresh full inspections have been delayed).

I did, however, find that in hindsight the detail often coincided with my gut reactions on visiting. The school where we felt the Head patronised us had its only flaw identified as 'communication with parents', the school we felt best embodied the ECM agenda had very good scores for raising achievement (even if that achievement was not huge), another 'outstanding' school identified as needing to incorporate technology better was desperately old-fashioned and had no staff under 40, and the school we loved was praised for its varied curriculum. Problem is, it was a case of visiting and then reading back, the report itslef didn't really help.

bibbitybobbityhat · 18/02/2011 17:41

I applied to our closest primary school. I had heard good things about it locally but I didn't even read the Ofsted report or look it up online. I think it has only ever had a satisfactory rating.

My children are happy at the school and learning well. There are some problems, the main one seems to be a cohort of parents and thus the Head feeling some huge and terrible pressure to improve the Ofsted rating (I started a thread about this a couple of days ago) which is terribly distracting and almost irrelevant, I feel.

EmEyeHi · 18/02/2011 20:07

I would take note of the OFSTED inspectors commentary relating to leadership and management in particular - these comments can be very telling whatever the overall grading. Any school is only as good as it's leader imo. I would also do some basic research, ie, google the HT, make enquiries of the locals if you are able, not just the parents of the children already at the school and be wary of the school website if they have one - they can be very very sparkly and impressive but full of !

Good luck.

Original poster

CrapBag · 18/02/2011 20:10

Thanks.

I never thought choosing a school would be such a minefield! Always thought it would just be nearest one and that would be that, but we live on the edge of a pretty deprived area and the surrounding areas are not much better so we don't have a great amount of choice. I just have to hope that DS is one of those who want to learn. Just keep thinking how many of the boys were when I was doing my TA training! Although I was in a particularly difficult class, on purpose, to give me the experience! It certainly did that.

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bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 20:13

Ooh Bibbity, I think I know the school. Poor Head - was very shocked by the thread on the other forum.

Take all Ofsteds with a pinch of salt, like SAT's results - in my job I have contact with loads of schools and it never fails to amaze me how some get good/outstanding rating. And I know for definite how some cheat for the SAT's.

bibbitybobbityhat · 18/02/2011 20:31

You probably do Tilly as we obviously live near each other.

I was very vocal on that other thread - sadly been deleted now!

bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 20:33

In the pro-complaining camp / not on a public forum camp?

bibbitybobbityhat · 18/02/2011 20:37

What do you think??

bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 20:38

Fingers X'd the latter

NorfolkNChance · 18/02/2011 21:01

As a teacher I am slightly biased but when I read eports I go straight for the pastoral section, if that bit is good then I read the rest, if it isn't I leave it there.

Ofsted is only a snap shot of a couple of days in a school.

bibbitybobbityhat · 18/02/2011 21:40

Of course the latter!

bigTillyMint · 18/02/2011 21:55

Phew

is your DD in Y6? just wondering if you are nail-biting?

bibbitybobbityhat · 19/02/2011 19:24

Next year ...

And I will be nail biting as it is fairly obvious that a child's secondary school is more important than their primary school in influencing how their life pans out. Thank goodness we are not in a grammar area is all I can say .

bibbitybobbityhat · 19/02/2011 19:28

Very interesting point Norfolk.

I often wonder what teachers make of Ofsteds.

My gut feeling is that pastoral care is really the most important thing at primary level, certainly in Early Years and Key Stage 1.

cece · 19/02/2011 19:36

As a teacher I place more importance on a visit to the school. I glance through the ofsted report but as long as the report isn't terrible and I liked the school on a visit I would go for it.

mellicauli · 19/02/2011 22:38

I would pay attention. But not because what Ofsted is always right but because a good Ofsted starts a virtuous circle: it attracts parents who are interested in their child's education, who in turn contribute to a vibrant PTA, which raises funds for extras and provides feedback to the school. Because it attracts good staff and makes staff more likely to stay because their efforts have been recognised.

But as cece, your own visit. I always think that what you think of the head is most important. If they are good, everything else will follow.

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