Ofsted inspections and staff surveys

[Piggywaspushed]

Hello all!
Quick question for anyone who knows these things : is it routine/normal/ expected for staff views to be sought during a full inspection? If so, how , and whose responsibility is it to direct staff towards this?

I have just read two reports: one mentions several times a staff survey, the other conspicuously doesn't.

[hels71]

We had Ofsted recently. Our head emailed us a link to an online survey.

[Jumpingshipquick]

Meh. I've been involved in 4 inspections at 2 different schools as a teacher, 1 as a parent, and watched from the sidelines at DHs school. And seen the fallout close up from dozens of others. I am now extremely cynical about Ofsteds ability to gain an accurate picture, and even more cynical about an inspection to bring about positive change, even when it's clearly very necessary. So yes, very casual about Ofsted. It's a hugely expensive wasteful behemoth of an organisation.

[JaffaCakes4TeaNow]

Just gobsmacked by how casually some of you are taking this. I was an LA governor for 9 years and three Ofsteds and we all had the surveys nailed down immediately at last Ofsted and made as sure as we could that everyone responded.

It’s not hard.

[Icequeen01]

We had Ofsted inspection in June. They sent an email day before the inspection which attached staff survey to be printed out and passed to all staff. I gave them out and staff returned to me by end of first day which I then handed to inspector. Didn't have parent survey as all our children are LAC.

[sakura06]

We've just had Ofsted in and had an email at the end of the day that the SLT's admin team forgot to share the staff survey. I'm not too impressed to be honest.

[Piggywaspushed]

I know of a school where everyone was dragged into the staffroom after Ofsted and the staff shouted at them about the survey and then cried.

However.... he did listen to the results and changed several things for the better!


At my DSs' first school, the head wrote us all a snotty letter after the parents' survey, telling us we were wrong about some of the things we had said. the school got an outstanding anyway! She never did learn or respond and the parents definitely were not wrong.

[Piggywaspushed]

Liking that proverb!

My version is 'sit on the riverbank long enough and you'll see all the shit float by' but your is probably the correct version!!

[Jumpingshipquick]

He's too loyal to the school to do that, and worried about what they might do/ day.

He's working on the principle according to the proverb about - sit on the riverbank long enough, And the bodies of your enemies will come floating by.

We don't have much faith in Ofsted anyway. They never seem to get at the truth. I'm yet to read a report about a school that I know well and recognise what's going on according to the report. I'm starting to think that looking at league tables and listening to parental gossip is more reliable!

[noblegiraffe]

threatened by SLT that they would be able to trace back negative responses



That's appalling. How dare SLT threaten its staff in that way! If it's true that also renders the whole process useless.
If your DH is on twitter and doesn't mind sticking his head above the parapet, I'd suggest tweeting Sean Harford to find out if it's true and what he thinks of the threats!

[Jumpingshipquick]

My school (short inspection that converted to 2 day) no survey but a group of teachers pulled in for a chat, no idea what they got asked. DH (currently being inspected today!) online form. They did get threatened by SLT that they would be able to trace back negative responses, and he didn't have time last night- too busy sorting out seating plans that had suddenly been demanded.

[Piggywaspushed]

Well, this is extremely enlightening! Thank you all!

[WitchOfTheWaste]

Ours was a short inspection and definitely did the staff survey.

[Piggywaspushed]

It rather does. I wonder is it is different if it is a section 8 (or 5 , whichever one is the short inspection) that morphs into a full inspection?

[noblegiraffe]

It seems odd that Ofsted don't look at the staff results during the inspection and tell the head to pull their finger out on the second day if no staff have responded. It does make it seem like it's not taken that seriously as a part of the process. Like other consultations in education then!

[Piggywaspushed]

The parents' survey definitely went out and students' views were canvassed.

I have found a union document (admittedly from a few years back) which seems to suggest the staff survey can be at the HT's discretion, but not the parent survey!

[Moodykat]

Ours was missed in all the panic and by the time the inspector mentioned it, it was too late and they wouldn't send it to us. There is so much stuff they expect you to find and it was very easy to miss.

[BrizzleDrizzle]

Perfectly normal.

[WitchOfTheWaste]

When the inspection is announced, a letter is sent to the Head with a template letter to send out to both parents and staff with a link to complete an online survey. Very poor if the school does not then do this. And extremely remiss of Ofsted if they don't pick up the fact that they've had zero responses!!

[Piggywaspushed]

tis indeed.

[noblegiraffe]

I wouldn't know as I haven't seen one...

Oh dear, that's very annoying.

[Piggywaspushed]

That's what I mean : I don't know why Ofsted don't remind them to get the surveys done!

[SharonStrzelecki]

I don’t know why the headteacher wasn’t reminded. Perhaps no one noticed in all the ofsted panic until it was too late. I know that it went down very badly with the ofsted team that it had been forgotten, though.

[Piggywaspushed]

I understood a question had been added about workload but I wouldn't know as I haven't seen one...

[BernardsarenotalwaysSaints]

If it's the same as the parent one it can be completed online or in paper format.