Ofsted Inspection - Headteacher off sick

[JamieOliveOil]

My DCs school is being inspected - today and tomorrow. The Headteacher has been off for a few months on long-term sick leave.

I spoke to one of the Inspectors today - she approached me in the playground at random - and specifically asked for my views on the schools difficulties with management. I answered honestly and said the acting Head was doing a great job, following on from the example and processes set by the Head who is off sick.

I'm worried that the management issues may have an adverse impact on the Ofsted grading. Having read threads on MN recently, many people are reporting that Inspections are tougher.

Can anyone offer any insight please?

Ofsted, as in any inspection process, are looking to confirm the lines of inquiry that they decided upon from the information that they have available to them prior to the inspection.
They are clearly going to know the head is off and has been for some time, so it is a certainty that one line of inquiry will be how is the school coping without the headteacher. Some of that evidence will come from talking to pupils and other staff but what better than to ask a parent on the playground?
If the consensus of the inspectors is that the school is doing OK without the head teacher then what you have done is just confirmed their beliefs. If the consensus is that the school is struggling then your views will just muddy the waters a bit more, so either way you have helped the school not hindered it.

Thanks Past and Talk - that makes total sense and, you're both right, it's not the end of the world. However, I think it's unlikely that the school would go into Special Measures simply due to the Head's absence although I could be wrong...

The school is brilliant because it doesn't just say it's Inclusive, it really is. Many children from out of catchment have come to our school after being ousted from their local Primaries.

The School has put in place lots of procedures (and this is over the last few years, not in anticipation of OFSTED Inspection) to identify and help SEN children but to also recognise some of the more capable children by establishing G&T Programme.

At the same time, one of my DCs who is an all rounder and, I'd say, average is being pushed to reach her potential.

It has lots of strengths I could go on about but, I suppose, the issue with the Head's absence has worried me and I believe it would be unfair to penalise the school for this.

We shall see...

Thanks Admission that's reassuring to know. You can only be truthful can't you.

Update : the Ofsted Report is due in a few weeks but I don't think it's gone well. School have sent letters out inviting Parents to a meeting after the Report has been issued - to address strategic issues that have been identified.

I also know that the Inspectors went back to school this week for a meeting.

I'm anticipating Special Measures or Notice to Improve, yet I'm not sure what either of these actually mean.

Does anyone have any experience of a poor Report and what, as Parents, we can expect.

The governors will know already what the score is.
The fact that letters have gone out to parents re meeting to discuss 'strategic issues' sounds ominous.