Emeritus Prof Christopher May<p>OFSTED's proposal to change how results of schools' inspection are presented, are out for consultation but already have been quite heavily criticised.</p><p>A bigger issue is while the proposals present a change in messaging they do little to address the real problem of inspectors' behaviour & accountability the lie at the heart of much of the serious disquiet & complaints about OFSTED's conduct.</p><p>Until that is addressed, the rest is just window dressing!</p><p><a href="https://zirk.us/tags/OFSTED" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>OFSTED</span></a> <a href="https://zirk.us/tags/schools" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>schools</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/ofsted-report-cards-are-a-superficial-change-the-inspectorate-needs-a-culture-shift-249037" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">theconversation.com/ofsted-rep</span><span class="invisible">ort-cards-are-a-superficial-change-the-inspectorate-needs-a-culture-shift-249037</span></a></p>
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Chris Riddell on how one-word #Ofsted assessments would apply to the #ToryParty - political cartoon gallery in London original-political-cartoon.com
Replied to Emeritus Prof Christopher May
@ChrisMayLA6 Not only will #UKLabour not be more sympathetic, but based on #Starmer's record, he'll reduce the rating down to a #ThumbsUp or #ThumbsDown emoji, just to prove how "tough" he is.
Hopes that OFSTED would be required to move away from its toxic system of single word summary judgements on schools have been dashed...
This will not end pressure for the reform of OFSTED but show how entrenched its culture of summary judgement & corrosive methods are.
Whether Labour will be any more sympathetic to the campaigners is unclear, but change needs to come if we are to find a better way to support schools to improve.
The Guardian · Ruth Perry family furious as Ofsted single-word ratings are retained
And yet more problems with #OFSTED... inspectors 'making up' evidence when the organisations creaking IT system crashes taking their (real) notes with it....
The more one know s about OFSTED the less reason there is for the inspection regime to continue in its current form.
Inspections can (and should) be valuable tools to help #schools improve... but the current adversarial & judgemental system (now often utilising fictionalised 'evidence') is:
NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE
The Guardian · Ofsted inspectors ‘make up evidence’ about a school’s performance when IT fails
More on Ofsted: "Ofsted inspectors ‘make up evidence’ about a school’s performance when IT fails"
I'm more and more convinced there really is a sickness in English culture around relatively petty power - suspect the reality is way too often that it's "I'm the boss now, obey me losers" not "I have responsibility now".
The Guardian · Ofsted inspectors ‘make up evidence’ about a school’s performance when IT fails
So today #OFSTED inspections resume... and we will soon be able to tel whether new leadership has shifted the attitudes & approaches of inspectors or if they pious words being spouted by Martyn Oliver are just that... words.
One good move: inspections can now be paused for a day (and up to five times) allowing #headteachers who require support to access it.
But in the end, only a change in the bullying culture of inspectors is going to start us on a road towards better inspections.
As part of its response to its central role in Ruth Perry's suicide, one important change #OFSTED has made is to change the confidentiality rules around inspections.
Now, head Teachers can share the immediate result of the inspection with staff, friends & families to reduce the stress of knowing but not being able to communicate the result.
I know from from Teachers I know that this will was a necessary (but not sufficient) change in the rules.
Lets hope this signals real change at OFSTED!
During the pause in #OFSTED inspections called by new Chief Inspector, Martin Oliver, inspectors will be receiving 'training' on stress alleviation during inspections;
all well & good until you find out such training is a half-day #mentalhealth webinar... I've taught on-line & let me tell you for such a crucial & delicate issue a webinar (with its problems of attention-drifting & lack of real engagement) is NOT THE ANSWER!
No wonder some #schools are considering barring inspectors from entry!
How can #babies fall behind? #Children used to be at #home until five-years old. Not necessarily ideal but goodness me it didn't usually delay communication & development. My brother, me & lots of others grew-up similarly. Mum, busy running a #craft #business from home, Dad #worked long hours. We did watch #TV & listen to #radio (no #computers). We were #read to every evening. Nothing unusual. No delays in #behaviour or #speech. Is this all another #Ofsted invention?
The Guardian · Rapid help needed for Covid babies who fell behind, says former Ofsted chief
Here's an interview with the new Chief Inspector of #OFSTED - I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about whether he is a welcome new broom or mistaken about his own organisation's practice(s).
To be fair to him, we need to wait to see how this plays out... but given the short period it took from #VictoriaAtkins to go from potentially bringing a shift in Govt. #education policy & her swift return to previous Ed.Sec's form, we may not have long to wait to find out!
The Guardian · ‘Teaching is deeply personal’: Ofsted’s new chief on inspections and schools’ struggles