What is the view of a 'Mocksted'?

[maskingtherealme]

My head announced this week that the school is to undergo a Mocksted.

Apparently real inspectors have been sought but no date given until nearer the time (before Easter).

I am assuming that the head will give the same notice as if it was a real inspection.

But what is the general consensus on this? Is it frowned upon or favoured?

Personally i think it shows that a head is shit scared and has little faith in the staff of the school to get through a real one. Obviously the head will disagree and have 'other reasons'. Am surprised the chair of governors and the rest of governors have actually agreed to it!

Not sure if the whole staff know yet but SLT certainly do know about it!

It's the sign of a head desperate to get a certain grade.

Our neighbouring school paid £6000 to have one done by an external company (what a %%%ing waste of money when we don't have enough pencils!) as the head was desperate to get an Outstanding and thought it would be good practice for the staff.

Ofsted themselves came shortly after and they 'only' got a Good. The head was devastated. Three members of staff are now off with long term stress and another 2 have given their notice in.

The whole thing is quite insane. Don't expect your staff to be pleased!

No they aren't but it seems only SLT know or just teaching staff. I let it slip to a teaching assistant and she still knows nothing about it.

Staff are fed up, stressed and annoyed with the head as it is! There has been a lot of discontent this academic year with union involvement for this and that, the head been called to council several times, staff off with sickness and stress etc and then this happens!!!!

It is blindingly obvious and unbelievably stupid of this head to call a Mocksted considering the strife the head has caused this year!! The head has been accused of not listening to staff, ignoring their health and well being and making promises that aren't kept.

Clearly a very poor leader.

rollon could be talking about my school - that happened to us last year. Head was devastated by the 'good' OFSTED that followed.

However, we've got another Mocksted next week. A year after the last one. Fucking ridiculous!

How has your head justified this one?!!

Just tells us how great it is for us all! I have no idea what goes through her mind. Seriously! What can we/ she possibly hope to learn from another one this soon? Still, she makes us do the same to the children - frequent testing with no time to make progress in between!

Union advice is to tell them where to shove it - I just did this successfully .

Hang on, I'll find a link...

no to Mocksted

Seriously, SLT in schools make OFSTED look like angels!

We're getting more undue and unfair pressure from SLT because of their crazy, panicking shit.

From what I have learnt, OFSTED don't expect or want to see the amount of stuff SLT make us do that they claim is for OFSTED purposes and to award THEMSELVES NOT THE SCHOOL, STAFF OR CHLDREN a bloody one-worded grade that really bares no meaning to the success of a school.

Our 'assisted review' came back with a not great result and was much worse than ofsted and I did not get any feedback for my lesson. The teacher questionnaire lead results lead to a very unhappy head who told staff that if they were not proud of the school they should leave. Followed by slt trying to work out who said negative things in the questionnaire rather than address issues. Both unions very upset by persistent learning walks and their was open talk of a vote of no confidence in the head and slt but then ofsted came and the learning walks stopped.

Followed by slt trying to work out who said negative things in the questionnaire rather than address issues.

Omg- do you work in my school?!!

The astonishing number of non-teaching SMT piling on unnecessary pressure in an aggressive, vindictive and unsupportive way are the cause of most of the current problems in teaching.

I've had so many of these. They are a very regular feature in academies.

Last school - outstanding - had 2 'Mocksteads' with real inspectors in a year.

New school - rapidly improving, recently Ofsteded, had 2 fake, 1 monitoring visit and 1 full-on inspection in a year.

I'm at the stage where I barely raise an eyebrow now. I clocked up 6 real or fake within 14 calendar months when I changed school. It is truly mental. I'll be on first-name terms with them all soon.

Seriously, SLT in schools make OFSTED look like angels! This is the truth of it.

These Mocksted companies must be making a bloody fortune!

Our head got the headteachers of other schools in the highschool catchment area to come and do a mocksted.

It irritated our already stressed staff. But it was sold as a)good practice and b) something that all the heads in the area do for each other.

We did it. I got dubious feedback for my lesson (the headteacher didn't know me but was sure I could 'sparkle more' despite being able to come up with any negatives for my lesson).

Pointless.

We have one next month. It a 'mockery' as the head is an inspector anyway and they are paying for a mocksted as we are due an ofsted. Stress stress stress stress.

These Mocksted companies must be making a bloody fortune!

Hmm... there's a few of us looking for a job-change that draws upon our key skills. KinkyD's Most Amazing Mocksted Co - 100% stress and pointlessness guaranteed, because, let's face it people, it's not real and does not count, even if we tell you SLT is outstanding in your school and justify your super salaries.

In the last three years I think our school (an Academy) has had about 12 of these in various disguises. Had proper OfSTED three weeks ago and got outstanding but there was limited pleasure in this as the previous three years have been hell on earth. All I can hope is that I might start to enjoy my job now that the pressure is off.

Agree with all posters re SLT being the ones driving it and not OfSTED. In our official inspection we were told to avoid specific activities then in the feedback at the end of day one the inspectors queried why they didn't see any of said activities! SLT totally clueless.