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.

It is normal. Ofsted give the survey to School to distribute and collect or staff can hand the survey directly to an inspector.

Maybe the survey did not say anything significant or there were not many replies in the report that you mentioned.

Is it not an online survey?

I know for a fact the second school didn't do a staff survey...

I was absent last Ofsted (had an op) so I assumed it was still paper.

I school I know of just had a full inspection and the headteacher forgot to give out the staff questionnaire (and the parent one too!). There should have been one though.

We were sent a link to an online survey when we had Ofsted just over a year ago.

There should definitely be one. It was emailed to all of us when we were inspected earlier this academic year. It was done online - we were sent a link as soon as we knew they were coming, and reminded to do it a few times before they arrived.

Most illuminating....

I don't understand if headteachers 'forget' why Ofsted don't remind them and/ or take this as a sign of something being rotten in the state of Denmark.

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

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

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.

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

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

Oh dear, that's very annoying.

tis indeed.

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!!

Perfectly normal.

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.

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!

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!

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?

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

Well, this is extremely enlightening! Thank you all!

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.

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!

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!