School Inspections ‘Toxic’.

May 7th 2013

A leading think-tank, ‘Demos’ published a report today which suggested that the way OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspects schools does not lead to improvement. The report suggests that OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspections in their current form

• lead to a break down of trustTrust schools are broadly the same as foundationFoundation schools are broadly the same as trust schools. The governing body is the employer and admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools. authority, rather than the local authority, as is the case for maintained schools. Faith schools are often trust schools. schoolsFoundationFoundation schools are broadly the same as trust schools. The governing body is the employer and admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools. authority, rather than the local authority, as is the case for maintained schools. Faith schools are often trust schools. schools are broadly the same as trust schools. The governing body is the employer and admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools. authority, rather than the local authority, as is the case for maintained schools. Faith schools are often trust schools.. They receive extra support (usually non-monetary) from a charitable trust made up of partners working together for the benefit of the school. The governing body is the employer and admissionsAdmissions is the department in the local education authority responsible for allocating children to schools. authority, rather than the local authority, as is the case for maintained schools. Faith schools are often trust schools. between school staff, school leaders, parents and governorsEvery school has a governing body. They are a group of volunteers chosen by parents, the local authority, the community and school staff.They are responsible for strategic and legal aspects of the school’s work. The governing body line manages the Head teacher.
• inspect the wrong things and focus too much of exam results and league tables(known as School and College Performance Tables, or School Achievement and AttainmentSchools are measured nationally in terms of progressSchools are measured nationally according to attainment and progress. Progress is how well pupils have done given their starting points. For example, pupils' progress from key stage 2 to key stage 4 is measured. and attainment. Attainment is how well pupils do according to national averages, and in national examinations, regardless of how good they were when they started the school. Tables). These tables measure the performance of schools' pupils in national tests, at age 11, 16 and 18.
• do not improve schools.

The ‘Demos’ report suggests that there should be an alternative model of inspection, which takes greater consideration of information from school staff, students, parents and governorsEvery school has a governing body. They are a group of volunteers chosen by parents, the local authority, the community and school staff.They are responsible for strategic and legal aspects of the school’s work. The governing body line manages the Head teacher..

How does this affect how you choose a school?

• OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspections ask parents to complete an online survey called ‘Parentview.’ This has been recently introduced, and, for some inspections, it is the case that not many parents respond. Parents can complete ‘Parentview’ at any time, not just prior to an inspection. It is worth looking at the inspection report to see how may parents have responded.  In the new reports, which came into operation from September 2012, information about how many parents responded is in the section ‘Information about this inspection.’ In some of the older reports, there is a separate section on ‘Views of parents and carers.’ 
• At the beginning of an inspection, all parents are sent out information about the inspection, and are encouraged to contact the lead inspector if they want to.  The lead inspector is required to contact all parents who request direct communication.  In some inspections, lots of parents contact the lead inspector, in some they do not. In the new reports from September 2012, it gives the reader information about how many parents made contact, under ‘Information about the inspection.’
• During the inspection, inspectors will talk a lot to pupils about the school. It is invariably the case that pupils are honest about how well the school is doing.
• Inspectors will always meet with governorsEvery school has a governing body. They are a group of volunteers chosen by parents, the local authority, the community and school staff.They are responsible for strategic and legal aspects of the school’s work. The governing body line manages the Head teacher. during an inspection.
• The OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. team will take into consideration evidence provided by the school. They will be informed by the school’s own self-evaluations, and plans.
• It is undoubtedly the case the OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. only inspect certain things in a certain way.  The focus of inspections now is largely about how well the pupils make progressSchools are measured nationally according to attainment and progress. Progress is how well pupils have done given their starting points. For example, pupils' progress from key stage 2 to key stage 4 is measured., from when they arrived at the school, in their learning.
• OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspections provide an external view of the school. Parents have a right to have an external, professional view of how well schools are doing.
• Sometimes, schools are not assessing themselves accurately.  Sometimes, schools need an external assessment to redirect them.
• OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspections provide a ‘snap shot’ of the school. They should always be interpreted by parents along with other sources of information, for example, first hand experience through visits etc. However, they are an important ‘snap shot’ and give parents a good overview particularly of how well pupils make progressSchools are measured nationally according to attainment and progress. Progress is how well pupils have done given their starting points. For example, pupils' progress from key stage 2 to key stage 4 is measured..
• It is certainly the case that many teachers and headteachers feel negatively about OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspections.  They do not feel they are fair, and they feel that inspections impose a framework on them that does not fit.  However, often teachers are influenced by the very negative coverage OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. gets in the education press.
• Often teachers will say how terrible OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. is, but the inspectors that came into their school were actually alright.  A lot of myths about OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. are perpetuated among teaching staff.
• There is not a culture in this country where schools necessarily are open to external inspection.
• If a school is failing its pupils, so they are not making good enough progressSchools are measured nationally according to attainment and progress. Progress is how well pupils have done given their starting points. For example, pupils' progress from key stage 2 to key stage 4 is measured., or are not safe. The OfstedOfsted, Office for Standards in Education, is the government body which inspectsschools, measures their success, and writes reports of their findings. All Ofsted reports can be found on their website. inspection framework is sometimes the only mechanism which will be able to identify these failings, and make sure something is done about them.
• There is a robust complaints process, if schools are unhappy about their inspection.