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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

Are schools given a 'heads up' when Ofsted comes?

35 replies

smearedinfood · 21/04/2017 13:51

I was given a permission slip for my son to go to a City Farm with a few children from other classes, on an appointed day. It's a bit weird.

My son is often described as 'day dreamy' in class and struggles with reading/working memory.

I may be reading too much into this, but I have heard of this before.

Is there anyway of finding out when Ofsted are due to visit as I am wondering if this is coinciding?

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mrz · 21/04/2017 13:55

Schools usually a phone call the day before so a couple of hours notice.

Fruitcocktail6 · 21/04/2017 13:56

I think usually one days notice. I work at a preschool and that's what we get.

Wolfiefan · 21/04/2017 13:57

24 hours.

EssexCat · 21/04/2017 13:58

We were told at 2pm. The inspectors were in 8am the next morning.

Rubyslippers7780 · 21/04/2017 13:58

They get one to two days notice.
Think you need to be asking why this was your first thought? Do you feel your son is being treated differently or has behavioural needs that a school would hide?

Heirhelp · 21/04/2017 13:59

They normal get a phone call at lunch time the previous day but if there are safe guarding concerns they have give no notice inspection.

They are never told any earlier than this.

TheFallenMadonna · 21/04/2017 14:00

For most visits, they call after midday the day before they arrive. For some inspections they hone from the car park to say they are coming in. It is not OFSTED.

Whynotnowbaby · 21/04/2017 14:00

Yes usually a day's notice. If you want to know the purpose of the trip (which should be in the letter anyway) then ask his teacher. Do they have a nurture group or similar, it may well be something like that. Ofsted have all the data anyway so they would notice straight away if an entire set of children of a specific profile suddenly disappeared and I have known ofsted to join a trip in the past so the school would have to be very certain of its benefits if they were aiming to remove them from the classroom

SaltyMyDear · 21/04/2017 14:02

Could be a mocksted though. A mock ofsted arranged by the HT to see how the school is doing.......

Or someone else important visiting.....

viques · 21/04/2017 14:03

If your child struggles with class work then maybe the school are trying to make school a more positive experience for him, maybe they have lots of activities planned for the day that he will enjoy talking about and that they can use to stimulate some written work that he sees as meaningful.

SunnyAgain · 21/04/2017 14:03

I think our school sometimes offer selected children an extra activity if the pupils get pupil premium. (Extra funding for families on lower income). Could this be the case?

Witchend · 21/04/2017 14:21

If they were choosing to remove it wouldn't be the dreamy ones. It would be the behavioural issues and ones who can react up to a stranger being there.

My dc have all at times been picked for little additional things that not all have (and not at other times). Sometimes you can see the group that was picked and why, sometimes it seems random. It's never been to get them out of the way for a visit.

Original poster

smearedinfood · 21/04/2017 14:26

I've written to the school and asked the purpose of the trip. No teachers are going, only teaching assistants.

Ofsted last came exactly 3 years ago and it appears 3 years before that.

He does have a confidence problem as school so it may be they intend to work on that area.

We are not on pupil premium.

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Original poster

smearedinfood · 21/04/2017 14:29

Forgot to add, we are in communication with the SEN team at the school about him and have an IEP regarding 'reluctance to participate, confidence and reading'.

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youarenotkiddingme · 21/04/2017 14:38

Ofsted usually call up after lunch the day before. So when your due a 2 day inspection you are more relaxed in a Thursday and Friday!

My ds has been on random trips with other year groups before - just him! For him it's because he's autistic and has very specific interests. The school send him on any trip related to these as a motivational tool and also as a 'break' for him and his teachers! School is stressful so he gets to be away from the social and organisational pressures to reboot and also learn something they can use as a tool to engage him.

Iamcheeseman · 21/04/2017 15:04

It sounds like he may have been selected as they feel it will benefit him.

Ofsted called us 10 minutes before they arrived (from the car park round the corner)!

Standardpubquizname · 21/04/2017 15:25

It sounds like he's been selected because you/he are already working with the SEN team and they think it might benefit. No harm in checking why but way to much notice for it to Ofsted. As others have said it wouldn't be the dreamy children who would be 'hidden' for Ofsted or any other 'special' visitor.

Indaba · 21/04/2017 15:36

Are you at an Academy or normal state? Seem to recall therer was a lot of bad press last year (well, it made Private Eye) when it became known that some Academy schools had been tipped off a couple of weeks ahead.....I can try and google it if you are really interested.....it was a woman who ran 3 or 4 schools in an Academy chain who were close to the government. I remember I was 😲 at the time.

SaltyMyDear · 21/04/2017 15:37

Ofsted used to give notice. And it very much used to be standard practice to remove some kids. But it's been years since Ofsted gives notice, so this no longer happens.

Original poster

smearedinfood · 21/04/2017 15:44

Not at an Academy, we are at a state school.

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TheFallenMadonna · 21/04/2017 18:28

Academies are state schools. It is to do with the governance and financing of the school.

Supermagicsmile · 22/04/2017 16:39

It won't be ofsted, you only get half a day notice!!

JennyOnAPlate · 22/04/2017 16:44

We got a phone call at lunch time the day before, so less than 24 hours notice. They definitely don't give enough notice for a trip to be organised!

Trifleorbust · 22/04/2017 16:47

Day before is standard.

Some schools know when they will be inspected 'at the latest'.

Rosieposy4 · 22/04/2017 16:50

I am in secondary, but we send selected kids with confidence issues ( along with some with different issues) out of school to different activities. It is to do with the idea that they can succeed, we are all good at different things, challening them in different ways, improving self confidence etc etc.
These are expensive programmes to run, and are not done with the purpose of avoiding OFSTED!
Not only is the notice now very short indeed as pp have said, but they also go through the lists of missing kids and school get grilled about them,
The stories about bus trips with disruptive students are now years and years out of date.

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