In general, how good are Ofsted at picking when schools are putting on a show for them?

[Uniteed]

For example, a class having a science practical lesson for the first time in 2 years, whilst they are there?

It feels quite fraudulent.

“picking up” - can’t edit title!

The kids wouldn't know what to do in a lesson they hadn't experienced for two years.

The teacher would have to remind them to use goggles for example. And one of them would say 'what are these for?' or 'how do you put these on?' or something along those lines.

I don’t think that it was really a goggle type practical, and they had to use them in their other practical 2 years ago, so may have remembered (I get that was only an example though).

Secondary age and heard from a support staff member, who found it funny.

I think they can generally tell when a school is putting on a show.

I don't think they're good at distinguishing between schools that are very good at tick boxing and doing lots of things for show and those schools that work less hard on the showy things and put the child first.

Ofsted doesn't just look at a lesson. They're not stupid and know they are seeing the best on display so if that's a shit show than things really are bad. They will look at books, do deep dives on a number of subjects, visiting one lesson isn't gong to be the only representation they have of the subject. But do remember just because your child hasn't had a great time in science, doesn't mean that's the representation of the subject as a whole in the school. Luck plays a massive role even in a school, if you get the crap science teacher, or your class has a really naughty couple of kids, your experience will be much different to the class next door.

My child isn’t at the school and I have no personal opinion on the school. I do have children but at a different school, which I guess was why I was a bit shocked. It was an anecdote that the person found entertaining.

They indepth ask children too. Look at their books and feedback
Look at dataaa and levels and how they were decided upon

They indepth ask children too. Look at their books and feedback
Look at dataaa and levels and how they were decided upon

There is no way a whole class of children would be able to follow the protocol of a practical science lesson when they haven't done one for two years. That's why you do lessons like that over and over again, so that they learn what to do.

They can be very good saying that my sen child was "ofstead trained" by his first school when he stepped into his new school they had an inspection within a week he saw someone with a badge observing the class he instantly knew what to do "we are calm polite and answer questions if we can" his classmate played up he said to him ummm we have guests 😂

He got a certificate 😂

Yes they can tell.

They do student interviews with no members of the school staff present.

Ditto teachers and SLT not allowed.

A show is obvious.

Box ticky culture less so.

They do parent and child surveys. As a parent you are informed they are coming so if you have strong feelings about the school you are able to meet with or email the inspector to make your feelings known. They have focus groups of children discussing different topics and children make comments in lessons and in corridors. Children say things, whether it's this is a great school and I love it, or you're only doing that lesson because ofsted are here miss.

I think all schools put on a show of some sort when ofsted visit they know when they are coming so is not a surprise. I have known schools to ship out the disruptive kids out for the day.

I'm not saying I remotely agree with the system as it stands btw.

I also want to add that I actually think it's incredibly brave to run a practical on a Ofsted day. So much more can go wrong than in book work and it's a real test of that teachers behaviour management.

This is just untrue. They literally find out mid morning the day before

In my experience, Ofsted has always been really good at picking stuff up.

Hippostraw
not untrue- had a moksted certain kids were in a forest school session for the afternoon

A mocksted is not the same though. You can’t organise a trip overnight, so if people were at forest school it would have been something done May times before, and the inspectors can go and see it

That's not the same at all. Even slightly.