Part-time teacher and Ofsted call on non-working day with childcare commitments

[YellowDaisies123]

So im going back to teaching in September, 3 days a week (wednesday-friday). My school is due Ofsted anytime. We will get the call on a Monday which is a non working day for me. I'm going part time because my little one is under 2 so I have childcare commitments as well as choosing to be more available for her.
I have a feeling it'll be an expectation that ALL staff will be required to attend once the call has come in both on the Monday after school and the Tuesday. My husband works and is self employed but doesn't work from home so going in at the drop of a hat is a no no for me on a Monday - I cant just leave my daughter and have nobody to just pass her to at short notice. I can however go in on the Tuesday as my husband can take it off if he's aware the day before. My question is, has anyone else been in this situation? I know I'll be made to feel guilty for not attending on the Monday but what do you do? Any experiences and thoughts would be highly appreciated! X

@PicaK with all due respect, are you a teacher or work in a school because if you don't, your post is extremely disrespectful. Also, you dont know me, you don't know my circumstances so its not for you to share your absolutely unwarranted negative opinion.

In response, I don't work Mondays or Tuesdays and not a member of SLT.
Also, no I can't just put child into nursery on a Monday with extremely little notice.

My son has recently had the experience of the new Ofsted. He was ill on the day of the call - Monday 9.30 (kept in touch on the phone). He went in on Tuesday (24 hr bug), went in early and was observed lesson 1. He's ECT2. By end of Tues the inspectors had concerns about English and Humanities (not his area) and went back in to ask more questions, observe more lessons. In the end all good. I am a teacher and I think your reaction is a real shame - can't you honestly do just a bit more for your colleagues/employer?

I did not go in on my day off when ofsted were in. I didn't have any lessons so there would have been no point. Secondary rather than primary. Just say no if asked. It is an unreasonable request.

Don't go in on either of your non working days, and don't dwell on this.
Now just try to enjoy the holiday with your DC.

@LoyalMintOtter how is saying ill go in on the tuesday (a non-working day) but can't do the monday not doing my bit? 🤔

Ignore this! You won't be paid. You are probably already being screwed over in terms of what you are expected to do as a part timer if your school is anything like mine. You do not owe your colleagues free work.

Last time we got the call my kids were both early primary age. It was my non-working day, but I was due in the next when Ofsted would be in.

I took both children into work with me after school with a 'packed lunch' for dinner. No way I would want to come in cold to an Ofsted inspection without doing any prep. I came in for my own benefit more than anything.

Ignore. It's not about "doing your bit". It's about doing your job, Weds - Friday.
That's it.

Isn't OFSTED a pretty big deal for schools? If I possibly could I would - I think it's one of those all hands on deck situations and doesn't come up that often. But if you can't you can't and that's ok.

It's a huge deal. However, she only works 3 days, so she can put her effort into her practice on those days.

I think unfortunately some people have taken this post out of context. I haven't said "i won't do my bit" - I've said Mondays and Tuesday are my non-working days whereby my partner teacher teaches. Ive said I'll be able to attend on the Tuesday to support my partner teacher (i won't be teaching) but I can't go in on the monday the moment we get the call due to other commitments. My main question was anybody having experience of this and how they dealt with it etc. I don't need people coming on here making judgements about my circumstances, sharing their personal views which quite frankly some have been rude and hurtful.

I was a part time senco (not SLT) and my head asked me before our last Ofsted if I would come in if it wasn’t on a working day of mine . I said it depended on what else I was doing!!

As it was, they came on my working day!
If I worked your days, I wouldn’t be in on the Monday bug might go in for a bit on the Tuesday if I wanted to prepare anything.

Why do you have to go in on the Tuesday? Can't your partner teacher send you any updates by email?

I wouldn't go in on the Monday but be available by phone or email if your partner teacher has any issues.

Had an OFSTED this year. I work Mon to Thursday, job share wed to Friday. Nobody went in on their days off. Made sure we had resources ready but that was whoever was there. Helping out each other.

Do not worry. Do not go in.
Be on top of tidiness and display in the classroom then your laughing.

You don't need to go in, you just need to do your usual teaching. Make sure you always have Tuesday's lessons planned before you go home for the weekend and you will be fine.

I am part time and also expecting Ofsted and I will only be in on my contracted days, I definitely wouldn't be going in any other time.

They shouldn’t expect you in and if a small school so have an idea of staffing level might question staff well being if staff are expected in (some of our local village schools only have a handful of staff as so small)

I would want to know how it was going as Wednesday is usually going into more depth on any area of focus they picked up on Tuesday, so going in on Tuesday might be helpful for that, although someone could give you feedback (when I was a governor we would get feedback from school before we went into meeting with inspector so had some idea where their questioning may focus on, so assume you could have similar feedback if you don’t go in on Tuesday).

You don't have to go on on either day OP, just the Wednesday.
Head gets call at 9.30am and let's everyone know.
Inspectors do not arrive until Tues morning.
Your Head and deputy should be prepared already for that call, in terms of SIP, safeguarding paperwork and SEND.
The inspection really ought to be showing what you currently do, not fur coat no knickers.
All your boards (not that this is part of the bloody inspection) should be up to date/presentable ahead of time. Not sure why the Head would insist you went in.
And you have no reason to act as unpaid LSA to your partner on the Tues unless she is doing that for you, also unpaid, on the Wednesday.

Don't feel guilty. Ignoring Ofsted would probably benefit children-in the 90s I'm pretty sure we didn't have them, and schools ran better then (even in a deprived area, I don't remember staff being attacked, or people swearing at teachers daily/kids physically attacking others during class, while even in some good schools, friends' kids say this happens).
As a parent, it makes me sad to hear that several teachers have harmed themselves due to them, and that the people who look after my kids worry about this.

I worked part time in a school which had ISI (independent version of ofsted). They do 2 days of observations and I was on a school trip on the first day and didn’t work the second. The head did ask if I would go in to teach on my non working day (as I lead a core subject and was deemed the strongest teacher of that subject in the school at the time and she wanted them to see me) and I said I would, but she asked and she asked politely and wouldn’t have said anything or treated me differently if I’d said no.

I think it’s absolutely fine that you can’t do Monday (I couldn’t have come in with no notice either) and good that you’re happy to offer to do Tuesday.

Thank you for the recent posts, this is much more helpful 😀

I left teaching a few years ago and I can now see how topsy turvey thinking is in many schools. You do have another job - being a mother to your child. It doesn’t get anymore important than that (and you know that as a mother and a teacher). If you offer to work the Tuesday, then ask for a day in lieu - if they can’t give you that then decline to work for free. Plan some nice days with your daughter.

@poostinkywink thank you so much for this response, exactly what I needed to hear!