Are you doing lesson observations?

[catcatcatcat]

We are. Against union guidance. Wondered if this is common place this term in schools?

No. We are doing the statutory NQT ones and we have been visiting lessons for a couple of mins just to see how things are going/offer support.

No other observations.

We are having them next week, yes. It is really stressing me out.

Only NQT and new staff.

We are. And book scrutinies and all the usual data shit, pupil progress and staff target setting. It's all utter bollocks.

I feel for everyone who has school's like mine.

I have tried from a covid safety perspective & well-being perspective but just can't get through to SLT about why it's an awful idea to carry on with it all.

(Book look's here too and all of that crap)

No, just NQTs. Voluntary for all the rest, via a webcam, and no judgement on the lesson, just peer feedback for middle leaders and feedback from HODs for all others. Not linked to PM at all, just giving each other ideas on eg teaching from the front, teaching in rows for staff who are less used to it etc. Loads have volunteered and it’s worked well. Probably better than normal in fact for actually improving practice rather than monitoring.

No. Our HT (Promary) has said that formal observations are a thing of the past and it's too easy for teachers to do a one off when they can't sustain this long term. We now have a learning walk every half term when he and the subject leader specify a morning that they will go into classrooms to see that lesson being taught and then take take the books with them to scrutinise. They also take children out to talk to them. We had English the first half term and have already had our Maths walk. It's a lot less stressful but bubbles are clearly being burst all over the place

Meant to add that they pop in for 5 minutes, and then go and come back about 20 or so minutes later to see how things have moved on in the lesson.

Only NQTS and trainees. Other new staff were also observed once at the start of the year. That will be it for lesson observations for the academic year. We’ve got no plans to do them later in the Spring/Summer.

No, we're not, as we're in single class bubbles, so avoiding going in each other's classrooms. We can't do them via webcam as we're a special school and can't have laptops out safely in class.

Thanks for sharing everyone. Our positive infections have risen pretty dramatically in the local area this last week. I'm going to be asking for the risk assessment for lesson observations in current times. See if that gets me anywhere...

Lessons OBS, learning walks, book scrutinies, being told all lessons have to be good or outstanding at all times, regular meetings to check all pupils are making better than expected progress..staff meetings, after school trainings ( 4 of those since September) we are on our knees