Challenging ofsted judgement

[quiller]

Our school recently got a 'requires improvement' from Ofsted, and plans to respond with a formal complaint about various aspects of the inspection, mostly to do with paperwork on results I think. I wondered how seriously to take this - is it really likely Ofsted have messed up badly enough for that? I don't have much faith in Ofsted at all, but I wonder if this the school are just wasting energy on this rather than admitting they have a serious problem. Is it common/reasonable for schools to respond this way? and is it likely to get them anywhere?

Sorry still think if teaching and progress is shite schools deserve the grade they get.

You're obviously going to get the odd mistake(lets face it you get mistakes from schools now and again so everybody is human).However glaring lack lustre schools deserve the grades they get.

I really don't get this "what satisfactory they must have got it wrong " attitude which seems to prevail re Ofsted reports, it certainly isn't in the children's best interest.

Every profession has to keep up with changes,maintain standards and own standards that need to improve.

"Sorry still think if teaching and progress is shite schools deserve the grade they get."

Yes...but that's beside the point. I was making the point that Ofsted makes mistakes fairly frequently, in response to the original post. Many many complaints are upheld each year and it is outrageously unfair (and energy-draining) for schools to have to spend time fighting against Ofsted's unprofessional inspectors.

They should do their job properly in the first place.

"Every profession has to keep up with changes,maintain standards and own standards that need to improve."

Nobody is saying that teaching shouldn't have standards. I'm saying that Ofsted inspectors need to be able to recognise those standards. Otherwise, why the bleedin' heck do they exist in the first place?

But it doesn't sound as if OP thinks the teaching and progress are shite, as she's not thinking of moving her children.

I haven't moved mine but progress(and several other things)are not good.

It's not that easy to just whip kids out due to travel logistics,spaces in other schools and more importantly their happiness and right to continue their education with the children they're grown up in in the community they live.

Most parents will leave their dc in a downgraded school for the above reasons-doesn't mean they're happy or agree with challenging the result.

Some of us would just like to take the school forward and work towards improvements,sadly this arrogant view of Ofsted not possibly being right doesn't help with this and is far more worrying than the grade itself.

Also in my experience schools like this are experts at hiding poor progress and weaknesses so op may have no idea of how it effects her children in real terms.

Schools like what, polka?

Once again, the OP has said that the school has improved a lot and hasn't said that it's stopped making any efforts to improve and just use all its energy to challenge Ofsted.

Many Ofsted inspections do contain inaccuracies - it's not arrogant to identify these.

Short of being a governor, I don't know how a parent can really judge progress across a whole school. It looks ok to me, not exactly what I would like, but there are no better options with places (inner city) and generally I would hesitate to move a child who is learning and happy.

heggiehog,
I will agree with you that mistakes do get made by Ofsted and some judgements and comments lack professionalism. We had one right t**t last time, who the lead inspector had to eventually tell to calm down and apologise for their behaviour, in front of the head teacher, mid way through the inspection.
But normally the school do get a copy of the report to allow them to correct any factual errors, so I would question why the school you are quoting did not do this before the report was published but left it till the report was in the public domain.