Ofsted v gut instinct?

[kipplin]

As the title says really...we have two local schools to chose from. One is a very large infant school with an outstanding ofsted rating, which feeds up to a 'good' junior school. The other is a much smaller school with a Good ofsted, which feeds up to a 'satisfactory' junior school. Both have a very diverse catchment area. Prior to visiting the schools we were all set on sending DD to the outstanding/good schools, as on paper they seemed the obvious choice. However, we found the larger school chaotic and impersonal and much preferred the calm, family feel of the smaller school.

My question is, how much influence do ofsted ratings have on your decision making?

I would say go with your gut feeling.

To a certain extent Ofsted commend the schools that jump through the right hoops, which doesn't give the whole picture.
Ofsted ratings have changed in the past year, it is now more difficult to get an 'outstanding'.
If the school with the 'good' rating was inspected this year it's as good as or not far behind a school that was 'outstanding' three years ago.

Also school ratings can change so the secondary school rating is only a vague guide for you now if your DC won't go there for another 7 years.

To my original point, go with your gut.
A good school is still good and you know what you want for your child.

gut instinct. Ofsted doesn't know your DC like you do.

Gut, definately, we went for the Outstanding option and basically it wasn't! Oh it ticked all the boxes, had all the awards and schemes in place, but there is more to a school than being able to conform to a two/three day visit from the inspectors.

Gut insticnt - without a shadow of a doubt.

Remember that 'Outstanding' schools don't get inspected very often - what it says if it's not a new report might not still hold true anyway, but time and time again I've come across Outstanding schools I wouldn't choose for my dc, and 'Satisfactory' Schools that are doing a fantastic job.
If you do decide to look at the OFSTED website, make sure you reas the actual text carefully, and never just look at the numbers / Grade. That can give a very wrong message.

Gut instinct! Outstanding schools can vary massively (I had to choose between 2 and one I loved and one I hated).

Ofsted is based on a short visit, things change after wards. It is an overall judgement, not how it fits you and your child.

Some parents might love large and chaotic and hate too small and quiet (probably me).

The best thing about Outstanding that it might make people take a second look at a school they would otherwise dismiss.

Talk to people.

Local reputation is a much better thing to go by than either ofsted or gut reaction.

Gut definitley, we went for that then our school was subsequently awarded outstanding. Anyway there is nothing wrong with a "good" school, I would be a little concerned about the feeder secondaries though and do research into that if I were you :)

Gut, every time.

Can you visit the junior school? Even though the infants in a local school was nice, the juniors was less impressive. I would still go for gut, but do read the detail of the ofsted and see whether the things the school care about are the same things you care about - i.e. Is pastoral care the most important for you because of disruptions at home or is academic progress because you have the next Einstein in your charge. You can be outstanding in some areas but still be ranked as good.

Gut,I think Outstanding schools are left far too much to their own devices and the title can foster an awful lot of undeserved arrogance at times. I'd rather my dc were in a good school to be honest.

Also Outstanding can disappear in a flash and wouldn't you rather be in a non outstanding school you liked.

It depends when the Ofsted judgements were given as to what they mean.

Also, have there been any changes in the school since? One of our local infant's school was judged 'outstanding' under the old head (it was, she was fabulous) though certainly won't be when it's next inspected.

Definitely go with your gut instinct. There are lots of reasons that very good junior schools get lower ratings, often to do with pupil mobility if people move out of the area for secondary, they lose a lot of top performing pupils.

I find the comments more enlightening than the actual grades... see if the things they praise/criticise are things that are important to you.

I'd also bear in mid how long ago they were inspected - a lot can change in 3 years; if an inspection was much older than this I would wonder how much was still relevant, to be honest.

I would also have some concerns about the "satisfactory" junior school (at least on paper). Go and look around that one, too before making up your mind.

Yes the satisfactory junior would be something I'd be putting more research into.As the junior years set them up for secondary I personally would prefer a junior school that was good iykwim.

Have a look when the next junior OFSTED is due.As they've raised the bar re inspections would the Junior not even get satisfactory if inspected in the near future?Look at the text and ask questions re the areas to improve ie what have they done to improve those areas.

Look very carefully at the "hard data" about the school. Look at how many children make expected progress and better. Look at the level the children go in at and come out at. Look at the progress made between the end of ks1 and KS2. our school for example has a elow average intake and does fantastic things with them in KS1, then lets them drift in KS2. ( we're working on it!)

Look at the comments on the OFSTED report about the quality of teaching. Remember that the lessons observed will have been prepared to the nth degree- if the teachers can't pull at least a good lesson out of the bag under those conditions, it's unlikely they will on a day to day basis. Look at the comments about leadership.

And when you look round, listen to your instincts. And then choose with heart and head.

Sorry, just seen it's an infant school, so most of what I said is irrelevant.

Is there any reason she can't go to the infant school you like then to the junior you like as well?

I would have a hard look at the OFSTED of the satisfactory junior, and make a judgement about whethernit was on th way up, on th way down or static. You should be able to tell if you read between the lines! A lot can change in 3 years!

If the junior school it feeds to has been 'satisfactory' for a while (a couple of inspections) Ofsted now say that satisfactory is not good enough.

As a result they are increasing the frequency of inspections of satisfactory schools and taking steps to ensure they are brought up to standard quickly.

It is very likely the Ofsted rating of the junior school will have changed by the time your child goes there.

Another thought though - in the case of the schools my dd2 is at.

The Infant is sitting on an (old) 'Outstanding' rating. They massively over-rank the levels the children are at at the end of Yr2. This isn't just the opinion of the Junior School, they've paid independent consultants to come in and mark tests they've given the children in the September when they come in. OFSTED inspectors have also seen the work they produced in Sept / Oct and agree with the marking / levelling the Junior staff have been doing. However, they said their hands were tied, and could only give the Junior School a 'Satisfactory' rating this year, because the data shows the children are 'only' making satisfactory progress. This is despite them knowing the figures are flawed due to the over generous awarding of L3s at the Infant school; despite over 80% of the teaching they observed being good or outstanding; despite them recognising the strength of the HT and management team; despite overwhelming praise from the parents and positive comments from the pupils; etc., etc.,etc. This year, OFSTED can only grade on what (wrong) data shows the progress has been for pupils going through the school. It's a FAR better school than the Infants - I like the term someone used upthread - about some schools with an Outstanding reating becoming very arrogant - this absolutely applies in this case.
It just confirmed to me what I've know fro a long time, that you can't measure what a school does for it's pupils and the families if the pupils, by raw data alone especially when the data is flawed.

I would try and visit the school at least twice and if your gut tells you this is the right school, then go with it. Ofsted can only be a snapshot at one time and things can change so quickly in a school. It only needs the head to change or even for the head to lose that enthusiasm for the school for things to start to deteriorate.

Definitely go with your gut instinct in the end but like the others say, when the inspection took place is important.

I sent DS to a satisfactory school even though our catchment school is outstanding, the school I chose had just had a new head teacher when it had the satisfactory result so I knew things were just going to get better. They got a good with some outstanding features at the next inspection. The other school is due their inspection soon and may still get outstanding however I loved the ethos of the other school and just felt it was right for DS.

Go with your gut instinct as Ofsted reports only show what the school was like on the days they visited. My ds's infant school was classed as 'outstanding' but they removed any 'difficult' children with SN like my son when Ofsted visited giving them jobs to do away from the normal classroom or sending them home sick . The HT was very arrogant and the school pushes the fact they are 'outstanding' at every opportunity. They have now become an academy and can do even more of what they want rather than put the needs of the children first.

There is nothing to beat walking around the school and going on gut feel.

The Ofsted report can be enlightening, but at the same time it is a very subjective report (only based on a few days observations) and schools can change a lot between reports.

I think the more interesting factor is the way the schools respond to outside influences and how good the governance is ...

Good luck