Ofsted Inspections - WHY GIVE NOTICE!!

[bossboggle]

Does anyone out there agree with me that OFSTED inspections should just happen - not with 48 hours notice, they should just walk in and see a school warts and all - not with the edges smoothed out - a good school should have nothing to change. A school about six miles away from us virtually sat on their year 8 and 9's and as it was an appropriate time of the year told their entire year 11 group not to attend on those two days that the ofsted team were in (from a year 11 pupil who had planned to go in as things were supposed to be happening for their year group but were cancelled!!) - the result was they were graded good with a few outstanding points whilst under normal circumstances the school population there causes chaos for the local residents with extreme bad behaviour and disgusting language directed at anyone who gets in the way. I think no school should have any warning and they should be judged for what they are not for how they wish to be seen!! Anyone agree?? My DS's school was recently judged good with outstanding teaching practices, yes they are good and are incredibly approachable for a senior school but they still warned their pupils about what standards were expected but at least ALL of the pupils were present and not just years 7 through to 10!!

[kickassangel]

even if teachers are absent, their lesson plans are still assessed, the books looked at etc.

it's fairly easy to spot when someone/thing has gone mysteriously missing - and is reflected in the report, so that side of it doesn't bother me so much.

after all, if all schools get the same notice, it's easy to see what has been done in 48 hours.

back when school got 3 weeks' notice, the prep was ridiculous - i even know of one school that got a parent to donate new carpet, then the staff & parent spent a weekend laying new carpet throughout the entry way!

i think enough notice to write up paperwork is necessary, but it should be stressed that it's 'business as usual' rather than some kind of grand show.

[mottecorner]

If OFSTED visited each school for half a day once a term and broadly the same inspectors each time then they could spot trends and changes good and bad. Unannounced for certain, meaning no spurious exclusions - but also not going OTT if there is one bad lesson. Come and check again. The present system of very in depth inspections (too much emphasis on admin and record keeping ) held years apart serves nobody well. At my childs previous school the head has changed twice since the last inspection as have 70% of the senior management team . Any parent reading the last report today will be totally misled as it is irrelevant to the school today

[EvilTwins]

Half a day every term would give inspectors very little time. Even if there was a team if 4 or 5, that would mean a maximum of 10-15 lessons, which in a large secondary school wouldn't even scratch the surface.

[EvilTwins]

And IME (extensive at the moment- current school in special measures) the emphasis is very much on teaching and learning, not admin.

[kickassangel]

the idea of 'little and often' does make more sense, though. then there aren't the big gaps between visits, during which a lot can change.

local inspectors, employed at county level, who build up a working relationship, with the emphasis being on support rather than a big brother approach, would, imo, help both the staff and students more than the current situation.

[Kez100]

That sounds sensible to me. I assume these Inspectors have plenty of real experience behind them. Why not use it positively?

[marriedinwhite]

Perhaps it should have been sassy. I removed my daughter from a London Comp last July that has just got an "outstanding". IMO that school was just about adequate for all sorts of reasons not least because the head didn't know the meaning of veracity or what represented basic good manners - education is what matters to me and education is about far more than the number of GCSEs achieved. It involves little things like the office staff being able to pronounce the word School correctly (skawl), the head knowing that when she required parents to return a reply slip the note should say please. All part of my child's education and a reinforcement of what is taught at home rather than a dilution of it. Standards, standards, standards.