Ofsted questionnaires - honest or not?

[lisson]

What happens when you fill out the OFSTED questionnaires - do you answer with the truth as you see it? Or maybe a kinder version of the truth because you want to help the school get a better rating?

I've never done one, even though my children have been at primary school for several years now. People sometimes complain in the playground but then when it comes to the reports almost everyone has ticked the strongly agree or agree boxes for everything.

I think they are a nonsense. The questions are too closed and it seems to me no one takes any notice of the replies anyway.... School or Ofsted

I tell the truth but have no confidence that OFSTED actually act on anything that is written on them. They always say there is no evidence to support the concerns raised when surely the evidence is what the parents are saying on the questionnaires?

Unless lots of parents answer them OFSTED don't take them into account. Most schools now do their own version and analyse internally to show OFSTED

Ofsted look at the percentage of parents raising the same issue

Answer the questions honestly, as they apply to your DC.

Honesty is the best policy.

If you're seriously worried about something - then say it.

A number of us all independently wrote we were concerned about maths curriculum in the school and lack of opportunities at practice (we found out later having compared notes). OFSTED looked at that quite seriously and combined with poor performance over several years on SATs have asked the school to improve things.

HTH

I have always done it honestly- it never occurred to me to do otherwise. I was, however, very happy with the school, otherwise they wouldn't have been there. If there were issues I would certainly take the opportunity to address them.

I have always answered honestly, and done a different form for each child as their experiences at school have been very different - last full one I did I filled 3 sides of A4 for DD and wrote 2 paragraphs for DS!

I agree that the questions are quite closed but I have filled out my answers and got my points across in the 'anything to add section' at the bottom.

A lot of my concerns were shared by others, some of whom put pen to paper too, so Ofsted and the new head took things onboard and DD's year group has had a lot of input that has changed things quite dramatically.

No point moaning if you haven't got the courage of your convictions.

I answer the questions honestly but

• would prefer more room for general comments rather than just grading on a sliding scale.
• would like to do one per child at school. My 2 DC had entirely different experiences.

At DD's school last Ofsted only 10% of parents filled in the questionnaire, so they give a very skewed result (it's the people with strong views that filled it in)

I think they realise that if people don't bother to fill it in then they are generally happy. You can go onto extra paper.

I've never done one, but I'd almost need to do one per teacher to be able to answer honestly whilst only having a box to tick. I mean what do you say to the "is progressing well" question when last year the teacher was diabolical in every sense whereas this year's teacher is superb??

DCs school had an ofsted inspection in Nocember and there wasn't a proper questionnaire - we were just directed to the parent part of ofsted that you can fill in at any time. Don't know if this is what happens generally now or if the school had done something else

Suppose you weren't happy with the school, perhaps felt it was failing in some important way, but you were hoping to get the problem fixed whilst retaining some sort of relationship with the head and the teacher. Then wouldn't you be ruining your chances of that if you told Ofsted what you knew??