There are few certainties in life: death, taxes and, for teachers, a visit from Ofsted. While for many the merest whiff of an inspection is enough to instil fear, it’s important that you try to think of a visit from Ofsted not as an inquisition but as an opportunity to showcase your amazing subject.
This is, of course, easier said than done, but by running your subject in a thoughtful, intelligent manner, and by following the checklist below, you should be able to approach your encounters with Ofsted with confidence.
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In your day-to-day role as a subject lead
Do:
- Know your subject. Ask yourself some key questions - these are things Ofsted will want to know:
- Is my subject being implemented as it is meant to be? If not, how can I address this?
- Do I know what is covered when and where?
- Do I complete observations, book scrutinies, etc?
- What is our rationale for teaching concepts, themes and skills in the order that we do?
- How does my subject link into the school improvement plan?
- Do teachers know what they are doing? How am I ensuring that subject knowledge is good?
- How do we assess and track knowledge and skills? How do we ensure progress? What does progress look like in my subject?
- Is the curriculum relevant to our pupils and local area/community?
- How are specific groups of children (eg, pupil premium, lowest 20 per cent, those with special educational needs and disability, high attainers) performing?
- What are my subject’s strengths and areas for development? How am I addressing these areas?
- Run a staff meeting outlining your curriculum - if you can explain your rationale to your staff, you can explain it to Ofsted. This can also help you to address any staff concerns or confusion.
- Ensure books are in a good, up-to-date condition as inspectors will carry out a scrutiny of books or other kinds of work produced by pupils from the classes visited by inspectors.
- Create a checklist of the bits you need to scoop together if your school gets the call - it’ll keep you from getting flustered. Most of your notes and information can and should be a simple side of A4, but a list of key documents and actions will always be useful.
Don’t:
- Spend hours preparing specifically for an anticipated inspection or completing ‘mocksted’ deep dives - all this will do is add to your workload and pile on the stress.
- Copy stock statements or use a stock curriculum without understanding them fully and adapting them to work for your setting.
When the call arrives
Do:
- Gather any books that will be used for scrutiny.
- Get a good night’s sleep.
Don’t:
- Panic.
- Stay late the night before the inspection - there is very little you can do at this stage.
Your deep-dive day
Do:
- Breathe, smile and be welcoming - inspectors are fully aware that their reputation precedes them.
- Be honest with inspectors - identify any areas for development and have a clear plan in place that accords with your school’s improvement plan.
- Try to take inspectors’ comments positively - see the things they highlight as opportunities for improvement.
- Feel free to challenge - inspectors are only human and may need further explanation or evidence to understand your stance.
Don’t:
- See inspectors as the enemy - they have come to find out about your school and your curriculum. This is your area of expertise so try not to feel intimidated.
- Try to cover up any issues - inspectors will see straight through it.
- Take it personally. Remember it is the school, not specifically you, your subject or your lessons that are being inspected.
Once Ofsted has left the building
Do:
- Breathe and take a break. Make sure that you decompress and talk to colleagues.
- Reflect on any suggestions or guidance you were offered and consider how you can act on them constructively.
- Talk to leaders if you feel you and your subject have been treated unfairly - they can share your concerns with inspectors or Ofsted itself.
- Seek reassurances, support and guidance from your SLT, networks and any subject leader forums.
Don’t:
- React impulsively to any less-than-positive feedback - it may feel like you have to rip it all up and start again, but that’s very unlikely to be the case.
Fe Luton is the director of research and content at Subject Leaders
