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NOW CLOSED Please take a few minutes to read Ofsted's proposals for changes to how they inspect schools and fill in their survey about it

113 replies

TheOtherHelenMumsnet · 27/03/2012 11:30

Ofsted is currently running a consultation on how they inspect schools and potential changes that may be introduced.

They'd like more parents to take part in the consultation and have their say about how improvements can be made, and the steps Ofsted should take to help raise standards in schools.

Here's what Ofsted say about it: "In the consultation, we are focusing on the key areas of inspection that we believe will help those who provide education to improve children's chances of success. This consultation provides an opportunity to comment on proposals that Ofsted would like to introduce from 1 September 2012."

Ofsted would like you to complete their short survey, but before you do, please download and read the background info here so that you're familiar with the proposals, and are able to answer the questions in the survey. Once you've done that, please click on the link below to complete the survey (please note that the survey and questions look a bit different to others you may have seen on MN because it's an Ofsted survey rather than a MN one).

www.surveymonkey.com/s/ofsted-gefa-sch

This is an opportunity to have your say on issues which impact on children's education. If you can spare the time to take part, please do.

Thanks
MNHQ

OP posts:
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senua · 27/03/2012 12:02

There is a lot to read there, it will take a lot of thinking about.

However, my immediate reaction is that if they are intending to have this in place for Sept 2012 (only six months!) then it is all a foregone conclusion and the 'consultation' is a bit of a charade.

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ChippyMinton · 27/03/2012 12:15

Not an easy read by any means.

My thoughts are mainly around the impact that any change in Ofsted rating will have on an individual school, now that 'outstanding' can only be achieved by schools where the teaching is rated as outstanding. Some schools that are complacently resting on their laurels may be in for a shock, when they are down-graded to a mere 'good'. The chattering classes at the school gate will have a field day.

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KnottyLocks · 27/03/2012 13:18

I fail to see how my sexual orientation or which gender I am living as is relevant to their survey.

I appreciate I do not have to tick that box but feel they shouldn't ask nonetheless.

If they are to give no notice prior to inspections, how the hell can they guarantee the Head Teachers will be on site?

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Springforward · 27/03/2012 13:35

The changes will be interesting, I agree. Before reading this I had no idea that a school could be rated outstanding, if teaching wasn't!

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ChippyMinton · 27/03/2012 13:42

KnottyLocks - I agree about the last page. I have never been asked that before

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BlueEyeshadow · 27/03/2012 13:57

Done, but I thought the survey very badly worded in parts, and have said so!

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Hassled · 27/03/2012 16:27

Have they not only just launched a new Framework for Inspection? What are they trying to do to us? Here Framework from Jan 2012. That's 2 months old. I'm assuming that Framework remains but the semantics change.

Will read and digest and then complete the survey but my initial thoughts are that Ofsted have their work cut out to implement any significant changes by September.

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Grockle · 27/03/2012 17:25

FAR too much to read. And it's all rubbish anyway. There must be better ways to judge schools. Perhaps if governments stopped changing the hoops that they expect teachers to jump through and actually allowed them to do their jobs, then they'd be able to focus on excellent teaching.

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Tee2072 · 27/03/2012 17:35

I am assuming they do not want my opinion as I live in Northern Ireland and they have no presence here.

So my only comment, not having read the brief, is I hope they get over the attendance thing or at least get some common sense about sickly children.

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Blu · 27/03/2012 18:21

I am in some sort of circular loop where every time I click on the link for what I think I need to read it takes me back to where I was....could we have a link directly to the paper we should read?

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clopper · 27/03/2012 18:55

Depressing. Pointless consultation- it will happen anyway, no matter what anyone says. What other job has to put up with this level of scrutiny? To be outstanding most children have to make better than expected progress within a 20-30 minute time slot 'All pupils engrossed in work and make much better progress than could be expected'

This is the definition of satisfactory teaching, which is now deemed by heads to be unsatisfactory is
SATISFACTORY (3) Most pupils make satisfactory gains in learning, are interested and enjoy working productively. Teaching is accurate and based on secure subject and pedagogical knowledge and is challenging. Relationships are positive and individual needs are met. TAs adequately managed. Orderly atmosphere and feedback provided. Pupils use own ideas and many pupils know where and how to improve their work. Work is marked regularly and pupils are aware of the overall quality of what they have done. Teachers know what pupils have achieved recently and match their planning and teaching accurately to this. The teachers let pupils know how well they are doing and uses this information to set specific, concise targets that pupils understand.
This is what we are judged against.

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balia · 27/03/2012 19:11

I'm the same as Blu - how do I get to read the blimmin thing? I'd specifically like to know how they rate teaching overall as good or satisfactory? Does all the teaching seen have to be good (or outstanding) or is it a certain percentage?

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BackforGood · 27/03/2012 19:14

I've had that too Blu - going round in a loop with each link clicked

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exoticfruits · 27/03/2012 19:20

I agree with Grockle -and I think they will have decided anyway before consulting.

I would like to know, most of all, how a Head can get 'outstanding leadership' when he/she makes the school an absolutely miserable place to work-so much so that staff turnover is abnormally high-they can't wait to get out!

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clopper · 27/03/2012 19:38

'I would like to know, most of all, how a Head can get 'outstanding leadership' when he/she makes the school an absolutely miserable place to work-so much so that staff turnover is abnormally high-they can't wait to get out!'

Ha, ha Exotic, yes a brilliant thought. How is that good leadership and man management skills.

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Hassled · 27/03/2012 19:55

Blu - I was in Loop of Hell for a while but what they actually want to read is a word or pdf download - scroll down a bit. Document name is imaginatively called A.doc.

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Hassled · 27/03/2012 19:56

Where it says "a good education for all", I mean

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Blu · 27/03/2012 20:08

Nope - tried that, it has twice frozen word when i try and oen the word version. (I am not having difficulty with other sites or word downloads).
Am sick of it now and giving up.


This, on top of the most badly worded survey ever from the Home Office (on same sex marriage) . What IS it with governmental consultation?

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Hassled · 27/03/2012 20:11

If you want to pm me an email address I can send it as an attachment. You might not care quite that much :o.

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whomovedmychocolate · 27/03/2012 21:02

I agree with most of their changes. However I think that this is not going to happen quickly. And it will change the focus of Ofsted and will lead to more unpredictable results. Which will really, really piss off the admissions dept when everyone switches results because in December, Mr Ofsted turned up and said school A was shit and now they all want to go to school B.

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bigTillyMint · 28/03/2012 07:27

I have no problem with schools only being judged as outstanding if the teaching is found to be outstanding, but there will be VERY few schools in this category now - it takes a lot of planning and preparation to teach outstanding lessons, and with no warning.......

There will be a massive melt-down amongst the chattering classes when they realise that their "outstanding" school is no longer outstanding....

Knotty, schools still function when the Head is not on site - that's why there are Deputies and Senior Leaders Wink

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KnottyLocks · 28/03/2012 07:36

Yep Tilly, understand that bit Smile but surely the Head would want to be there to watch their school undergo these new inspections? Common curtesy really.

I can imagine how they would feel if they weren't or had to charge back from wherever they were to face OFSTED.

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bigbuttons · 28/03/2012 07:42

I think Inspection should always be unannounced. I could never understand this whole prep thing. Drives the teachers half loony in anticipation and gives a false picture of the school.
You have to do an unannounced visit to see what is REALLY going on, not the extra shiny version.
Our school had an outstanding in all areas at the last inspection. We had a fantastic head. Then he left and his shit deputy was appointed.
He's spent most of his headship off ill with a mysterious illness,(hooray) now he is back (boo) and shit as ever. It will be very very interesting to see what the next inspection will bring.
I would love it to un announced, then they might find the head having a 'rest in his office or not quite managing to blow the whistle on time or get his staff to greet the kids on time - sorry own private moan thereBlush.
Anyway, I think unannounced inspection will really sort out the wheat from the chaff. But they will have to have different criteria to judge things against if unannounced
Yes it will most likely ruffle the feathers of the great and good middle class there.

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bigTillyMint · 28/03/2012 08:10

Well the Dep would obviously call them immediately and unless they were on a residential or off sick, they would come straight back, I would have thought. Sometimes Head's have to come back for other serious stuff - just a fact of life really.

Yes, it will definitely sort the wheat from the chaff. But as they ring at 8.30 and then come in at 8.40, they are unlikely to find the Head having a rest in his office as he will be doing his best to appear that he is outstanding. Hopefully they will see behind the facadeHmm

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senua · 28/03/2012 09:04

There are arguments for and against. Yes, it'a good idea to 'catch them on the hop' and see what the real, everyday school is like but, on the other hand, it can also be good if the school has notice. Our last school was a bit 'meh' - as evidenced, for example, by the poor estates management. The only time they swept up, did a bit of gardening, applied a lick of paint etc was when Ofsted said they were coming. It does focus the mind if you know that you have a deadline looming.
Perhaps we need a combination of announced and unannounced.

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