OFSTED: File on 4 (Tuesday 26th June)

Rebecca Hanson's picture
 6
This excellent program will be available until at least next Monday 4th July:My son's school's being inspected tomorrow and Friday. My notes at the bottom of the form I had to return today concluded - xxxx school is an excellent organisation which is a credit to society UNLIKE OFSTED. Let's hope the get an inspector who's capable of understanding what they do.
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Comments

Francis Gilbert's picture
Thu, 28/06/2012 - 17:12

It's a shocking indictment, showing that inspectors have made many factual errors in their reports and arrived at manifestly unfair judgements. Wouldn't all that money spent on inspections better be spent on school improvement?


Rebecca Hanson's picture
Thu, 28/06/2012 - 17:48

I think Michael Gove thinks putting good schools into special measures is school improvement Francis.

Only someone who's never actually worked anywhere near education............

Paul's picture
Mon, 02/07/2012 - 10:03

OFSTED is nothing to do with inspection really ; it is about top down control of schools. OFSTED is the government's policy enforcer. The bloke with the knife who stands over you telling you what to do.

No politician whether Labour or Conservative (especially not Labour who are centralisers by nature) is going to give that tool up or allow it genuine independence.

Paul's picture
Mon, 02/07/2012 - 10:04

Yes, I mean it's not like any of the Labour Education Ministers including your innumerate chum Brennan did it, is it ?


Janet Downs's picture
Sun, 01/07/2012 - 13:36

The BBC news report which accompanied the programme said that 262 schools were complaining about their Ofsted inspections, that's one in 12 of those inspected. Sir Michael Wilshaw said that there were 22,000 schools and the number complaining was small. But all 22,000 aren't inspected at the same time, Sir Michael.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-18512428

The File on 4 programme is available in Listen Again until 2099. Unfortunately, it wasn't working this afternoon so I haven't listened to it yet. But I've got 87 years left - no hurry.

Paul's picture
Mon, 02/07/2012 - 10:08

I had an interesting discussion with an OFSTED person on the TES. He did not seem to grasp that people would be put off complaining or questioning in the feedback because of the possibility that OFSTED would take revenge in the actual report, because OFSTED were totally objective. I am still not sure if he was taking the mickey as any human being responds poorly to having their opinions challenged (especially those who claim they don't, they're usually the worst).

This probably applies writ large. I suspect there are many many more complaints than this - I have had two OFSTED inspections, both good results from the report but both were ineptly done.

People will only formally complain in extremis because they fear the likely response is 'we'll send someone else in to check' (i.e. you get another inspection) and the inspectors will know why they are there, which will skew the response.

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