Ofsted tomorrow!

[TeachingPuffin]

Any tips? other than getting off MN I'm an NQT so won't be the focus but they might still come in, especially as I'm doing a core subject. Working like the clappers as we speak...

Sort your outfit now - check it's clean/you have tights/pants/whatever.

Fill a water bottle at the start of the day and make sure you drink. I flinched every time a shadow passed the door when I was an NQT in Ofsted, so try and avoid that.

It sounds silly, but try and enjoy it. It's too late for big changes now, so try and roll with it. Good luck!

Thanks for your encouraging words! I've already planned my this-makes-me-feel confident outfit and it should be clean as I did laundry yesterday! Will let you know how it went! Only 30 books left to mark!

Main tip: don't panic. If they come and visit you, take control. It's still your space, so welcome them, steer them towards a convenient place to sit, etc. At an appropriate time in the lesson (when the kids are working and you are circulating) ask if they have any questions or need anything else from you. That will help you feel calmer.

Good luck

A good tip - remember they do not grade individual lessons. They make a holistic judgement of teaching across the whole school. So try not to feel like you are being graded / inspected.

Don't do anything differently! Seriously - just go in and teach whatever/however you had planned it. It will be fine.

Might be old advice but I put an adult sized chair (I teach very small ones) just inside the door. On that I put my time table, a class list (annotated to show things like EAL) that weeks plans and a seating plan. All stuff you have to hand and shouldn’t take two minutes to put together.
I know you don’t have to show them planning etc but it is good to have nothing to hide.

Ooh, yes. We once had an inspector who wanted to know how many children were in the class. Is that still something they ask? Quick headcount and pop it on a post-it at the start of each lesson.

Also, I presume you have had observations fairly regularly as an NQT? It will be shorter and (probably) less invasive than an NQT observation (in my experience). Get some sleep!

I agree about having paperwork ready to hand to them. Or have it on the chair-even better!

I wouldn't worry too much about the books. Unless it's been weeks since they've been marked.

We are due soon too...

Good luck . I've done far far too many of these now

Thanks everyone! I might (have to) make them stand, as one of my groups is quite big. We've been told not to do seating plans, just make sure we know our kids (I do). Lesson plans all done, books marked up to last week. Still nervous but I'll just make sure I look my best and try to enjoy it

Thanks for all the positivity! I'm an anxious person by nature and being a teacher has really helped me learn to deal with this - mainly because it attracts so many calm and positive people

I had Ofsted in my last week as a trainee and my first week in a new school as 3rd term NQT. You will be looked at the same as your colleagues... but the school will also be judged on how well they are supporting & mentoring you.

You will shine!

Don’t let the bastards get you down.

And you know in your driving test where you don’t just check your mirrors, you exaggeratedly CHECK YOUR MIRRORS so that you can be seen to check your mirrors? Do that in the classroom if you have them in. “Please answer these 5 fraction questions for your starter - remember we did this last week and I want to check that you’ve got this method nailed before we move onto the next bit’ instead of just ‘here’s your starter’.

You migh not even be seen - last three I’ve been through I’ve been missed. Funnily, this can feel like an anti-climax after all the prep.

Good luck!

Done teaching for today! No one came in to see me. Felt surprisingly relaxed mostly. One of the inspectors helped me carry my books in in the morning

Haha!

One of the Ofsted inspections I have had was in a school with 4 classes. No chance whatever of 'not being seen' in a school that size!

As far as I remember, we were all seen 3x over the 2 days.... the inspector did feel a bit like part of the family by the time he left...

I was seen twice last inspection for full lesson inspections - much larger school - and dropped into a third time.

cant you obviously got my share of Ofsted observations! Our last inspection was one of the new one day ones and barely anyone got seen unless you were a specific line of enquiry.

noble ours was a one-day one as well. Purely anecdotally it seems very few people were seen.

Thanks for your support everyone!

I can see that the new 1 day ones will mean many people aren't seen, probably even in a largeish primary.

I also assume that in a secondary it was always possible to 'escape', even with the two day regime, as there are just so many more classes, and the number of inspectors doesn't increase proportionately (so 1 inspector for 4 classes, 3 for 12-14 classes, but probably 5 for 7 form entry secondary with >35 classes going on at any point just for years 7-11, plus m,any more for sixth form)

2 day inspections in a tiny school are quite ... full on!

Be yourself. If you want to give them an accurate picture, then there’s no point in spending hours to give an all singing and dancing lesson. Pupils need to be taught what they need to know rather than be entertained.

Good luck.

It's totally anti-climatic when you don't really see them. We got done a few years ago (primary) I am music lead and the inspector came in at the end of my Lit lesson just as I was lining them up (the worst time to ever come in a classroom!) to go down to a music lesson in our beautiful new music room, so I invited her to join us in our singing and she just gave me a totally disgusted look and walked out without saying anything!