As a teacher, would you send your child to a school that was not rated good by ofsted?

[millimat]

Bit speculative atm.
DS school (secondary) had ofsted right at the beginning of the month. We've yet to see the report and I've looked on the ofsted website and it says within 19 working days. It will be over 20 tomorrow. There's a part that states it could be longer if they are looking for further evidence, which suggests that they are RI.
I disagree with everything ofsted does for teachers and their wellbeing. However, I'm unsure about whether I want my child to stay in a school that on paper is not good.
This may be all hypothetical, but I have no idea why a report is not yet published. DS is happy and as far as I am aware is making good progress. I'm primary so struggle to compare.
AIBU?

Yep. I've taught in many 'Good' schools that were bloody awful, frankly. Cirrys are you an actual teacher? Because I've also been in an 'Outstanding' school that was a nightmare of stress and pressure and FAR from what I would consider to be 'Outstanding'. I am currently in a 'Good' school that IS bloody Outstanding - and know of two other 'good' schools in the area that I would not send my child to. I also know of what that is 'RI' that I would send my own child to. Ofsted bollocks doesn't impress me at all.

I would recommend visiting/looking round a school and going by what feels right to you. He's in the school, happy and making progress. Bugger Ofsted.

Ofsted ratings have been analysed and shown to be almost no different to throwing a dice.

Certainly in my experience they are utterly meaningless.

No, I didn't pay the slightest attention when chosing schools for my children

I wouldn't be swayed by the Ofsted rating, as Ofsted are pointless dimwits (who rated me as outstanding twice - meh, whatever).

But I might be put off by the fact that a RI verdict will cause SMT heads to roll, a possible MAT takeover (ugh), & considerable staff churn over the next year or so as any decent teacher with the wit to pour piss out of a boot will be speedily removing themselves from a) the stigma of teaching at an officially Crap School & b) the tanks on the lawn of aforesaid MAT takeover.

Given the teacher recruitment crisis, no one competent will need to stay in a school that has had the black spot put on it by Ofsted.

It'll probably all shake down ok in a few years, but if those are the years that my dc would be attending the school, then if possible that's a Nope from me.

Ofsted don't identify problems - they create them.

Thefallen - I'm just providing some information on my experience with Ofsted from two schools. If this is the case or not, it happened.

I know it happens. I'm just saying it is very clearly not allowed, and that will be why the OP doesn't know yet.

I find it strange that one of your concerns is what he will be saying to his friends about the school that he attends. Maybe it's my kids but they never have a conversation about the OFSTED rating of their schools. I really wouldn't worry about that.

I wouldn't give it a second thought. I used to teach in a school always rated outstanding and it was truly dreadful. Really should have been shut down. The head teacher knew how to play the 'game' though.

It depends a bit of you care about his education or not ? Since “good” on the Ofsted ratings is a fairly wide band and includes some really crap schools it’s probably worth doing a bit more digging.

I work in a a so called outstanding school (well, actually now good but was outstanding for years) It is overcrowded, neurotic, and often sloppily and complacently lead.

My DSs go to a good school which was RI. When it was RI , it deserved it. But that gave it the incentive it needed to improve.

Officially , both schools are now good. I honestly think the school my DSs are in (so ex RI) is better than my school (outstanding for years)

Obviously, I have two different perspectives on the school and the ex outstanding one probably recruits more easily (although it doesn't feel like it). The behaviour is better in the ex RI school, again because they really had to work to address issues.

I work in a RI school and although I think Ofsted inspections are ridiculous, I'd still hesitate before sending any of mine to a school that was RI. Good or Outstanding please!

Guess I'll have to wait and see!

I'd go on local reputation, not ofsted.

But then I think schools should be graded as satisfactory or inadequate. Either they offer an appropriate education or not. That would solve a lot of issues.

It depends if your priorities align it’s Ofsted’s. If they do, that’s fine, but there’s a lot that they don’t measure or value and no one school can do everything to the same standard. I know lots of schools with amazing pastoral care who perhaps don’t push for results in the same way another school might and whilst the report might alude to that (parents views and PSHE) it’s more fixated on academic progress above all.

I wouldn't. I work at a school in SM and it's soul-destroying to see the staff turnover - for the kids.

one of my main concerns is what he has to say to friends who go to a different school

Really? I don't remember myself or any other child having any cares about Ofsted reports! They liked a school or they didn't. They have their own opinion on if another school is good or not and Ofsted does not come into it!

I have one child at a RI secondary, it's the first place he's ever been happy. Other child at at a rated good primary who absolutely adores it. Both previously went to an outstanding primary, one of the top performing ones in the country, and both hated every second of it, as do many others who leave in their droves.
I would use ofsted as a light guide only and go more on feel and reputation. Our RI secondary is highly rated in our area and always oversubscribed. Lots of parents rushed to praise it when it got another RI grading recently. The ofsted outstanding faith school nearby however is well known to have a drugs problem. I know where I'd rather my child go!
I also viewed many outstanding nurseries that were far from.

Def ... ds1 school in special measures when he started, fantastic head and teaching staff moved them into good by time he went into year 2. Other ‘outstanding’ schools not had Ofsted for years and as long as keep providing good data (not necessarily amazing teaching) they will stay under Ofsted radar. Sometimes best teaching happens where staff have to really work to help children make good progress and attainment xxx

Just to be aware the waiting time might also mean they've gone up and not down. The school I work at went from good to outstanding and they weren't allowed to announce it for 7 weeks.

But no I wouldn't. I went to a RI school. It was abysmal. My DD was on the waiting list for a good nursery and went into RI in January so we got her in elsewhere.

Really @CheesecakeAddict? I'd not heard that. Ofsted website only mentions longer timescales when RI or worse.

@Scooby23 I do agree. My school is outstanding. The pressure on staff is immense and I think targets mean that academically it is outstanding, but pastorally then no. No time to talk to children

OFSTED basically use results which means their observations are total crap. School progress 8 figure poor in August one year, observed in March told special measures, results in August showed school now way above average. So the lessons that were slated by OFSTED gave the school the best ever results.

Another school rated good, progress 8 figure was positive, observed April given good rating, their progress 8 figure come August was awful! So the lessons praised gave the school the worst results for 10 years!

DS will be going to a RI school in September. The management clearly have been slow to catch on with regards to progress 8. So last summers results were awful because the students were all sitting 12 GCSEs. Every student did triple science. Just a terrible curriculum if you want good progress 8 results.

The school that leads the league tables near me is the school with the highest number of EAL students. In an area of serious deprivation where prior attainment at KS2 is on the floor. Under the old measures it was terrible now it's a beacon of how to do it!

What matters to me is that OFSTED praised behaviour at the school my children will attend. The students want to learn. The pastoral care was praised by parents. Under the old measures it was close to the top end of the league tables with the vast majority of students leaving with GCSE grades of C or above in all the essential subjects.

The Ofsted rating would be the least of my concerns. I moved one of my DC from a 'good' school where they were being bullied and constantly brought home nits (down to one family known to everyone, who refused to treat their children) and where the SMT teacher did not know their academic strengths and weaknesses at all.
They went to a SM school and are much happier there. Yes, the school has its failings (mainly lack of communication), but I wouldn't swap back for the world.

The school my kids go to was outstanding when DD started there, Good with Outstanding features when DS1 started there, and last year went to Inadequate in all areas. Luckily, I work there, and I know that it's essentially the same as it was seven years ago. The whole thing was a political manoeuvre to get us put in a MAT. Behaviour has been an issue, but we have a new deputy head whose role is to sort it out. So far, so good.