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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Original poster

Inspection due and re-doing work

15 replies

MarvinMarvinson · 05/04/2019 18:01

Is this normal?

My children's school is due an inspection in a couple of weeks.

One of them has been selected to show all their work from every subject. So all week almost all her teachers have been asking her to go through her books, fill in any blanks and redo some aspects of the work.

She has also had internal tests this week which she has been trying to revise for.

I should say at this point that we've had glowing reports of her from the school, no problems raised with her work or effort.

She is absolutely stressed to the max, understandably really.

Is this normal? I want to support the school at a time that I know is stressful for the teachers but this seems ridiculous - the kids shouldn't be stressed too surely? And surely they need to see her work as it is, not some sanitised version?

OP posts:

noblegiraffe · 05/04/2019 18:06

State school? Ofsted?

This is bonkers. Pre-selecting a kid and making sure their books are redone to perfection is basically cheating the inspection and you should be telling them to fuck off.

Original poster

MarvinMarvinson · 05/04/2019 18:10

State school, yes. I've been happy with them up until now but I'm wondering whether this is a school caught up in normal inspection insanity or if I should be very worried that they can't rely on the work passing muster as it is.

OP posts:

usernameusername01 · 05/04/2019 18:18

It can't be Ofsted, they wouldn't know they were coming in and they wouldn't be able to pre select a kids work.

Schools do a portion of a lesson going back over previous work, answering teachers questions and completing work. Could it be that?

noblegiraffe · 05/04/2019 18:20

If it’s a state school and Ofsted, then this is worse than bonkers. Unless something dodgy is going on, they can’t know for sure that they are being inspected in a fortnight and the entire exercise might be a waste of time.
In addition, inspectors aren’t stupid and aren’t going to let themselves be presented with a single kid’s books to look at. They’ll be in classes looking at random work.

Heyha · 05/04/2019 18:22

Completely abnormal! Ofsted is nowhere near that much notice and the school won't be able to dictate which students' work gets seen. You wouldn't be unreasonable to point this out and ask what the purpose is, if it's affecting your DC's experience.

Original poster

MarvinMarvinson · 05/04/2019 18:23

It's Estyn. I'd far prefer a more honest unannounced inspection.

I don't think the school have selected her unless they are asked to select a range - she's doing well but isn't a star, academically gifted child iyswim. She's a solid b and c grade type of kid.

It's not going over stuff in class, it's take your book, go through and re-do x, y and z piece of work. She's not an easily stressed child to be honest so I hate seeing her like this.

OP posts:

Original poster

MarvinMarvinson · 05/04/2019 18:25

I wondered whether estyn choose kids off the roll and say they'll want to see their work?

OP posts:

adamsappletree · 05/04/2019 18:25

Ofsted give next day notice, who is doing the inspecting?

adamsappletree · 05/04/2019 18:25

Sorry, cross post

usernameusername01 · 05/04/2019 18:46

Oh Estyn is Wales, sorry I'm not sure what the protocol there is. Does seem a bit strange that she's having to re do work. Is she ripping pages out of her book?

Original poster

MarvinMarvinson · 05/04/2019 22:24

I'm not sure how it works with the books actually, good point! I think an investigatory phone call is in order.

OP posts:

BringOnTheScience · 06/04/2019 00:33

For those querying knowing that the inspection is coming: Estyn do give notice, unlike Ofsted.
www.estyn.gov.wales/inspection/inspection-explained

BubblesBuddy · 06/04/2019 15:30

This probably explains why Welsh education isn’t as good as it could be. It’s gaming the system!

admission · 06/04/2019 18:26

Estyn currently give three weeks notice to most schools but can turn up unannounced if they feel it is appropriate.
The school can do all they want to try and disguise the situation but the inspection team will already have a good idea from the data what the school is like. When they arrive on the Monday at lunch time they will suss out the school very quickly and will be looking at books in the afternoon. On the Tuesday and Wednesday the inspection team will look again at books, spend time in lessons and more importantly spend time talking to the pupils, which the inspection team chose, not the school. It will become obvious to the inspection team if the books have been "tidied up" as it is a more or less standard question to the pupils chosen at random as to when they did the work. Guarantee that the pupils will reveal the truth, so I would just say to you to tell your daughter to relax and just answer any question she is asked truthfully. She or any one individual pupil will not have any effect on the outcome of the inspection.

TheHobbitMum · 06/04/2019 18:32

OP My eldest daughter has been chosen for work Inspection a few years ago (along with about 4/5 friends from that year). They also had to go through workbooks and make them the best they could possibly be (work stuck down correctly, mistakes corrected etc), I can't remember what the inspection was but I'm almost sure it was OFSTED.

We aren't in Wales though, we're in England

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