Anyone had Ofsted yet?

[BG2015]

I've been reading Twitter and a few people have shared their 'deep dive' experiences- it's absolutely terrifying.

I teach in a small primary (200 on roll) and lead history and geography. I say lead but I've got a couple of folders with planning and examples of work.

I certainly couldn't talk with confidence about them.

That example doesn’t seem too scary for me... (of course, I might feel different when it happens...!) But, I’m looking at it as a secondary teacher. Where you’d expect the subject lead, with a degree in that area, probably 10+ years of experience, in one of the biggest departments in the school to be able to answer these questions. Especially given the changes to Ks4/5 curriculum lately and therefore the rewriting of KS3 subjects to suit.

I would think (hope?) that Ofsted would Taylor their questioning to be mindful of the difference in expectations for subject knowledge and curriculum focus at primary level. If that helps?

Is the poster from Twitter primary or secondary? It looks about right for secondary.

That post has come from primary I'd say. I have no idea what WALTS are!

They just expect you to know what you are teaching and why. Not any grand outrageous questioning. To me it does not seem too difficult.

Crikey-we are a similar sized primary and I don’t think we even have a science coordinator yet since the last one left.

Very few of our coordinators have a degree in the subject they are coordinating either-that is quite scary!

That would be one hell of a grilling for a primary school co-ordinator!!

It's a primary school.

Walt means - what are you learning today.

I'm English trained and I co ordinate History and Geography. I have little experience of teaching history or geography apart from the few bits that I teach my own Year 1 class.

Today I've taught, phonics, guided reading, English, maths, PE and ICT.
Tomorrow is the same with art and PSHE in the afternoon.

I'm not a specialist in anything but I teach everything. I'm expected to know what skills are being taught from EYFS to Y6. Its ridiculous.

Right, NOBODY NEEDS WALTS.

Please, everyone, got and find Heather Fearne on twitter. She's big chief in charge of curriculum at Ofsted and tackles these myths. Please do not get suckered in like everyone did with triple marking!!!

See this thread about that school.

She is @HeatherBellaF on twitter.

I'm expected to know what skills are being taught from EYFS to Y6. Its ridiculous.

Now I’m a secondary teacher so looking at it from a head of faculty point of view, but is it ridiculous? If you’re in charge of humanities then why don’t you know how humanities is taught throughout the school?

If you are leading humanities at secondary level, how much maths do you teach? How much English? Science? RE? ICT? PE? French? Philosophy? Geography? DT? Art? PSHE?
Oh, that’s right, you teach Humanities, that’s it. And you teach it across several year groups.
In primary we teach all the subjects all the time. I’m History coordinator and I teach three lessons of History per term in one year group as I’m part time. It’s very different.

Id expect head of subject to oversea how their subject is taught across the ages....

Humanities was a poor choice.
I teach geography, history, RE and Philosophy. As do all the team. And I don't even have a GCSE in two of them!

I'm horrified kids get three history lessons per term. That's awful. Truly awful. It's no wonder there's no curriculum for it, it pretty much doesn't exist.

And it's perfectly reasonable to expect you to know how Humanities is being taught across the years.

It's your job to do that.

Id expect head of subject to oversea

Brilliant.

Teaching all the subjects all the time isn't the point, surely? If it’s your job to co-ordinate geography and history then how can you do that if you don’t know what’s happening in all the years? How do you develop their skills between year 3 and year 4 unless you know what each class is doing? If you don’t know, then how much coordinating do you actually do?

Exactly right.

If its my job to oversee a subject school wide I need to know what they're doing in each year, in what order, when and why as well as what.

And then I wonder why they arrive in Yr7 and cannot tell me anything about history beyond a few Henry VIII things and cannot show me where the UK is on a world map and think Africa is a country 😟

I was going to start typing something about primary and secondary being so different but I decided not to bother because there is really no point.

If you've never taught in primary - particularly KS1 then you really have no clue what we do, co ordinating a subject isn't a priority in my job. I'm a CLASS TEACHER first. I help kids get dressed, sort out children who can't share or take turns, try and encourage them to enjoy school so I don't have to prise them off their parents every morning, put plasters on, wipe noses, correct pencil grips.......I've not even started on the curriculum.

Planning fun and interactive lessons at my year groups level is my priority and that takes up 95% of my time.

Many subject leads in small primaries get no pay or, possibly more importantly, time to actually coordinate a subject. I've just taken on History. We are part of a small MAT of 3 schools. I've had no input on what is taught and when, someone at one of the other schools basically put all the NC 'topics' somewhere on a 2 yr rolling programme.

Any suggestions on what I say to an inspector if they decide to come in next week? I'm bricking it after reading about that deep dive.

Exactly! Diddly squat extra pay and maybe half a day to co- ordinate 2 subjects across 7 year groups.....A YEAR!!!

You tell me what I should prioritise???

And what about the tiny primary schools who have 3 teachers - 2 who are part time and co-ordinate EVERYTHING!

That's exactly what the lead inspector is saying though: it's perfectly reasonable to have DHT in those interviews if that's the case.

My mum taught Reception/KS1 for her entire career. She also coordinated art school wide. I know it's really bloody tough. Equally I'm just "a classroom teacher" but also form tutor (dealing with self harm and teen drug abuse anyone?!), student teacher mentor, T&L group lead delivering CPD and rewriting curriculum for KS3 having just fine KS4 and 5.

So I have bloody masses on top of my normal job too. It's par for the course, no matter if primary or secondary.

If you are coordinator of a subject you should have some idea of what the different year groups are doing and why.

I'm secondary Maths so only one subject but across the 5 years and ability levels I can justify what we teach, and why we do it in that order.

I understand if you don't have much time or a TLR it's difficult to make subject coordination a priority. But if that is your job you should know what's going on. In a smaller school this should be easier as you will be teaching more of it.

A huge issue with primary is that many subjects leaders in many small schools are
A: unpaid for that role
And
B: given no time out of class to perform that role.

A primary class teacher will be on basic pay with a 90% teaching commitment.

I am a deputy head so on a higher pay but on an 80% timetable. That extra 10% for me is not for curriculum. It’s for safeguarding and other whole school leadership issues.

Yup. 90% teaching here too.
Rewriting the curriculum in our own time.
No TLR either. It's my job.

In a smaller school this should be easier as you will be teaching more of it.

How so?

We are a small school with a small number of classes. I am responsible for a shitload of curriculum subjects (and am only part time) but still only teach my own class.