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.

All primary teachers (except NQTs) lead a subject and most have no extra pay or time out of class to work on their curriculum area. Any of us could be grilled by Ofsted like this and according to my Head we all need to get up to speed on it in our own time.

It's no use we will get no sympathy from our secondary colleagues.

We are expected to teach 12 different subjects, plus phonics, guided reading as extras. And then co ordinate subjects we have no experience of with no time to do so.

Or with no extra pay.

But we are supposed to know what the other 6 year groups are teaching and tell Ofsted how progress is built in, what assessments are in place, how SEN is catered for in each year group.......?

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

I'm thinking super small, 3 members of staff type school. They must teach multiple year groups.

I teach 90% timetable at secondary and regularly have to re write the curriculum /schemes of work. That's just the job. Same with writing assessments etc. No TLR or time for it either.

You have my absolute sympathy. It sucks.

But please don't tell secondary teachers they don't have to do this extra unpaid whole school stuff because they do. On 90% timetables.

It sucks for everyone!

But we are supposed to know what the other 6 year groups are teaching and tell Ofsted how progress is built in, what assessments are in place, how SEN is catered for in each year group.......?

Not in every subject. But I'd expect you to have some knowledge of how history/geography is structured through school. It's a bit strange that you don't as a subject coordinator. Obviously ofsted will allow you to have schemes of work etc in front of you.

I don't teach y9 this year but still know what's on their scheme of work. Also I only teach year 7 set 4, I still have to be aware of what set 1 are covering.

I'm a secondary teacher and I find that deep dive scary, too, don't worry (and I am a SL of a subject with a GCSE staff of one!). The posse are out in force to make you feel useless.

But we are supposed to know what the other 6 year groups are teaching and tell Ofsted how progress is built in, what assessments are in place, how SEN is catered for in each year group.......?

Well yes, if it’s your job to be in charge of it, you are.

Yes, as subject lead you should be overseeing the what, when and why to ensure the national curriculum for those key stages is covered in your subject.

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.
They don’t get three lessons per term, they get nine. I am part time as I said in my post, so I only teach three of them. My colleague teaches the other six.
I know it’s my responsibility and I dol my job as a coordinator, but I just will struggle to have that kind of in depth knowledge because I teach so many different subjects, not just one or two.
I have an English degree, not History.

*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 teach 12, including English and Maths. I don’t even have a GCSE in five of them. Plus as pp said I am first and foremost a class teacher.

I don't even have a GCSE in two subjects I teach.

That's why I have to read lots.

Nine lessons a term.....so one hour every 1.5/2 school weeks.

It's still shockingly low.

I'm teaching to a higher level than I'm qualified in.

That's my point.

but I just will struggle to have that kind of in depth knowledge

Surely the schemes of work and assessments are already there? You just need to be able to talk about them. Eg we do. History in chronological order because xyz. We teach this skill in Geography year 1 and then build on it through xyz topic in year 2.

@BelindasGleeTeam

Yup. 90% teaching here too.
Rewriting the curriculum in our own time.

Why would you do this? If, as you say, it's part of your job, you should be given paid time to perform the task.

Nope. Nobody is!!

Just another job that needs doing.

You're right, it should be paid buy up and down schools, both primary and secondary are teachers working their backsides off doing these tasks.

Practically, have you been onto twitter? Asked for help from MAT colleagues etc?

I think a lot of secondary schools expect primaries to have schemes of work plus assessment resources in history/ geography etc and we don't. I have never worked in a school that has them. The primary curriculum for foundation subjects is incredibly broad and brief. As well as no time and no money, I often feel that primary teachers don't have a clue about the core principles of the subject they are leading (me included). My head could say I'm leading history tomorrow and I'd have no training, no resources and no clue. Another huge problem is we often have KS1 or ks2 specialists who find it incredibly difficult to lead their subject in the key stage they don't teach in. It's completely understandable. How can you teach 4 year olds for 10 years and confidently lead science in year 6, for example. My husband is a secondary teacher and I feel he has it worst than me so I am in no way bashing secondary. But for those who are saying, of course you should be able to talk through your subject across the school - I agree but it is hugely unrealistic in many primaries.

Don't worry about Ofsted, unless you are SLT. You need to know two things: what the state of your subjects is, and what the school plans to do to improve.

Spend a little time setting up your subject file. You might find it easier to have one file with separate sections for the two subjects, and carry out the same tasks for both subjects at the same time, as they are closely linked.

Your school may have a Subject Co-ordination policy to tell you what to include. If not, start with:
School Development Plan
Highlight references to your subjects and any relevant cross-curriculum targets, e.g. for improving outcomes for particular pupil groups

Subject Policy

Long-term curriculum/topic/ subject plan

Create the following:
Subject Audit, i.e. current state of your subjects
What evidence of your subject is there in classrooms and the rest of school, e.g. in books, displays, resources, Assemblies, Trips, visitors, clubs?
Talk to teachers: who has done something interesting, who is not very confident, what would they like to see happen?

Subject Development Plan
One task per half-term. This term's tasks are to set up the file and the subject audit. Then start to address the gaps you've found or your subjects' contribution to School Development Plan.

Diary
Everything you or anyone else in school does connected with your subjects

Then keep collecting evidence/ useful thing: assessment data, planning examples, photos of displays, examples of work, record of pupil discussions, training, resources, useful websites...

Make sure you discuss your subjects in your Performance Management Review.
What is the school's and your vision of where it is going and what needs to be done along the way?
Does anything need to go into the next School Development Plan?

Lost the end of my long post. If you don't get release time, you can't do much but a few minutes a week will add up by Christmas. Even if Ofsted come before then, you know what you need to be doing for your subject and the key thing is still the teaching and learning in your own class. Good luck.

In secondary staff manage to lead from year 7 to 13 which is 7 years of age gap. I get that it's difficult but it can't be beyond staff to plan. Are there no assessments at primary outside Maths and English?

I have 2 files, one for each of my subjects.

They include, curriculum policy, the 3 III's, plans and topic webs from each year group, exemplars of children's work, photographs from displays, enrichment opportunities and CPD evidence (of which there is very little) - I was given half a day to do all of this so most of it was done in my own time. Including an hour last night to update my development plan and create one for 2019-20.

Next I need to sit down and pull out the skills for each year group and look for continuity across the year groups, photocopy more work, and collate resources of which there are few!

I know what each year group is teaching (we work from a creative curriculum so a lot of our work is topic based) BUT after all that I would have to rehearse a great deal if Ofsted asked me any questions about it and I wouldn't talk with confidence.

I'm a hardworking, conscientious teacher and I'm in my 23rd year of teaching and I'm frankly fed up of it all.

Why photocopy work? Ofsted can look in books. That's a pointless task.

It sounds like you have things ready. They aren't expecting you to be a total expert in the subject. Just that you have the overview of what a child's journey in History should look like over the time they are at your school.

I'd make sure your plans and curriculum links are up to date. Exemplar work is pointless. Resources why not email staff and ask what they have been using?

The time thing is standard in teaching tbh. No one has enough time for anything.

And you don't need anything on the three I's.

Your curriculum is your intent. The rest is seen in books or from asking questions.

That's straight from Ofsted lead inspector on curriculum.

It really does sound like you have more than enough so don't panic!

At my school, our SEF has suddenly become about 9000 pages long. We were given a one hour meeting to start doing it but the rest is still hanging over my head. It's not what Ofsted claim they intended but any change increases workload

SLT need to be better though. Ofsted have been really clear. They've published mythbusting documents.

It's just a lot of SLT listen to hearsay and don't keep up with research and current practice....

I sympathise with primary phase colleagues but I have to say I’m pleased to see Ofsted take this approach. The erosion of foundation and creative subjects in the primary curriculum has been absolutely scandalous and I hope the balance will start to shift now.

Please don’t let your SLTs turn this into new millstones, however. The new framework is explicitly mindful of teacher workload in a way that I certainly haven’t seen before in fifteen years in the profession.