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23 Sep 02 - 02:49 PM (#789750) Subject: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sooz In two weeks time I have the delight of an ofsted inspection to look forward to. I've seen the cv of the main guy I will have to deal with and he last taught 17 years ago. Is there any hope? How can I ensure survival? |
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23 Sep 02 - 02:59 PM (#789758) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: wysiwyg What's OFSTED? So we can figure out the US counterpart. ~S~ |
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23 Sep 02 - 03:04 PM (#789761) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Wyrd Sister Just remember there's only one 'f'in OFSTED! Seriously, more details required - are you primary/secondary? Small school/large? Asking for the school or personal survival? Until then, my only tip is don't take anything for granted - spell everything out, and if you have examples + NC references to back it all up, you're half way there. Good luck. |
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23 Sep 02 - 03:10 PM (#789766) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: GUEST WYSIWIG, OFSTED = Office for Standards in Education, officially the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in England It's basically a school inspection, to see if all is (supposedly)up to standard |
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23 Sep 02 - 03:40 PM (#789787) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: MMario Sounds like the state certification exam schools here (US) have to go through. |
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23 Sep 02 - 04:00 PM (#789798) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sooz Smallish secondary modern: Personal survival (rather than success)a major priority: Also care very much about the school as I've been there a very long time. |
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23 Sep 02 - 04:03 PM (#789800) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: MMario I take it then, you don't have tenured positions - where it requires a major infraction to lose your job? |
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23 Sep 02 - 04:04 PM (#789801) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Eric the Viking Office for standards in education-for you USA folks. Official inspectors for the Government for the rest of us.(In teaching that is) If your planning is sound, based on NC programmes of study at the appropriate key stage and level, IEP's, lesson plans and targets all linked, and you;link planning, evaluation, progression and forming the next step for the child. Make sure that learning objectives are clear, and that the outcomes are evaluated-not the lesson it'self-then you should be OK. Provided that-you stimulate learning in a variety of ways, include every pupil, ensure good behaviour, a learning ethos in the classroom that extends into non teaching contacts with the kids-then you should be ok. Provided that; your specialism, or curriculum area is; up to date, aware of latest policies, developments and demands,with information disseminated amongst other staff, co-ordinated with long, medium and short term plans, overviews of comparative performance with similar schools in the country, targets linked to improving performance to national levels or better in your own school, then you should be ok. Provided that you have carried out a curriculum audit, and have a curriculum development plan, and an action plan, details of peer to peer monitoring, sharing good practice then you should be Ok. Provided that, your planning is evident, presented to the inspectors in the agreed format for the school or department and available for each lesson and or subject. That your records are up to date, each childs work marked, levelled against NC level descriptors and that you have a file with agreed levelling and a record of moderation examples and proceedures, then you should be OK. Provided that, the classroom is a stimulating environment with good up to date and relavent displays,a balance of work from all pupils, a balance of work from all subjects, photo's, artifacts etc etc. Plus, Special Educational needs and low attainers, high flyers, emotional/behavioural problem pupils have a differentiated curriculum with outcomes linked to your planning and IEp's and targets then you should be Ok. Provided that you can demonstarte clear home school links, the setting and marking of homework, positive feedback during each lesson, evidence whilst being observed of;children improving own learning, working co-operatively, knowing what is required of them, using key vocabulary, are on task, are drawn back on task, children are motivated, confident and secure, assessing and evaluating their own learning and that you know when to change pace, style or organisiation, then you should be ok. Providing, lessons start on time, show good pace and finish on time, the pupils celibrate and are rewarded for success then you should be ok.The three part lesson is the in thing, and don't forget the plenary session.Make sure ancillary staff, ETA's etc are well briefed and working from and to your planning. That they are using ALS, ELS, NLS-Num and Lit, Or if KS3 or 4 the latest impacts of science, literacy and numeracy are taken on board. Also make sure that ICT is; used, in your planning and WORKING!, note X curricular links and opportunities for development for pupils who need that extra something But also remember that ofsted are there to "look for weakness and strengths, and not what is satisfactory".(from official ofsted document for lesson obs My personal advice is to be yourself, if you change the kids will spot it, so will the inspectors, be yourself with them. It isn't any fun-there is no enjoyment in an inspection, only relief when it's over. Remember that most of the things I've put down are the duty of management and the LEA advisors to ensure that they are taking place, if they are not-then it's your managers fault more than yours because they have a duty to ensure that you do your job, they should support and develop you, give you clear policies and guidelines to work from, clear monitoring and feedback. In truth it often doesn't happen-they soon shift the blame in any direction they can-if they are that type. Anyone out there think teaching is still fun, and can't understand why people are leaving the profession? Teachers know that hat you will work on average 54 hours a week, DO NOT GET PAID FOR HOLIDAYS! (A big misunderstanding-everyone thinks we do!)but spend a lot of holiday time working on planning etc. Just think, everyone thinks we start at 09.00, baby sit a few kids, go home at 15.30 and then put our feet up, with mega holidays to sit back and enjoy. Watch out for lay inspectors-they are often a bit more friendly, but sharp as knives. If you think this is a waste-I've survived, Numerous internal monitoring/observations, loads of LEA advisor obs, 4 LEA inspections, 3 OFSTEDS, and even the HMI's.So far-touch wood, I've come out glowing without any probelms. If you are still stuck, or don't understand anything pm me-I'll be happy to help, where I can. Are you KS 1, 2, 3 or 4? Which main subjects. |
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23 Sep 02 - 04:09 PM (#789804) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Eric the Viking Finally, remember that if the going gets tough Inspectors have to piss and have a shit like the rest of us See them naked, souless, sad and clever-they're the ones who quit as the going got tough, most of them couldn't hold a candle to the average teacher, they have to work froma sheet of paper, we have to work from the heart. Good luck, play some good folk music, get drunk, have a party(When it's over-good or bad) |
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23 Sep 02 - 04:36 PM (#789815) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: vectis I too have survived many OFFSTEDS and hope to escape permanently soon. RETIREMENT beckons. Yeee Haaa.
Write down what you intend to do.
I gave up doing anything special 2 OFFSTEDS ago and have still got good grades. I believe that I'm less hassled because I know I'm good at what I do and couldn't care less what OFFSTED say. |
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23 Sep 02 - 05:57 PM (#789851) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: MartinRyan Didn't we have a song about this a long time back? Based on "...The Gasman came to call"? Might provide a little light relief in the staffroom! Regards |
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23 Sep 02 - 06:18 PM (#789860) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: McGrath of Harlow Them as can't do, teach, they say - but them as can't teach, inspect.
It's this kind of thing that is the best reason for taking kids out of school and teaching them at home. |
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23 Sep 02 - 07:23 PM (#789882) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Lanfranc Lady Lanfranc, who has survived more OfStEds than most in four years as a supply teacher, advises de-demonising them! At one of the schools which was being inspected while she was there, the staff apparently modified the lyrics of the "Teddy Bears' Picnic" to "OfStEdibears..." - among themselves only, of course. In my years in Banking, we got used to being examined by internal auditors, external auditors, the Bank of England, the Federal Reserve, IMRO, SFA, etc etc, almost invariably without notice. Auditors, examiners and inspectors are only doing their job, if you are doing yours properly, you should have nothing to fear. Unless they are doing an Andersen, they perform a useful function, and should not only inspect, but make constructive suggestions for improvement. Only the incompetent and the fraudulent should need to fear examination of their work practices. Assuming that you fall into neither of those categories, relax!! Alan
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23 Sep 02 - 08:02 PM (#789917) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: MartinRyan There she blows! Regards |
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23 Sep 02 - 08:06 PM (#789924) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: McGrath of Harlow Except where the authorities are trying to make people use an approach to teaching which is out of line with the needs of the children.
The educational philosophy of Thomas Gradgrind - ""Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!" "
Not precisely the current line - but not all that far removed either. |
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24 Sep 02 - 12:07 AM (#790034) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sorcha I would hope that inspectors anywhere would accept teaching them to THINK!! as well.........but can we hope for that? |
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24 Sep 02 - 03:38 AM (#790097) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sarah the flute We have got an ISI inspection early next year (equivilent of OFSTED for posh schools). We are intending to put up a display in the Library entitled "An Inspector Calls" and put out lots of Inspector Morse books etc and have a quiz called "Find the Body in the Library" (which will be all about finding various offical acronyms). We will wait and see if any of the inspectors get the subliminal plot... that the inspector that calls isn't for real!!! ... who is the last laugh on???? It should give us the same amusement as when Michael Portillo came and all the photos taken show our book display... The Lost Leaders (Prime ministers Britain Never had), Communist manifesto, Labour Party biogs etc... well it was on politics to make him feel at home!!! Sarah |
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24 Sep 02 - 12:24 PM (#790356) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sooz Thanks, Eric for taking so much trouble! I do Ks3 & Ks4 mostly Science but with PSHE (Sex and drugs without the rock'n'roll.)I'm actually an "Accredited teacher of sex and relationships education" thanks to a DfES pilot scheme very recently completed. |
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24 Sep 02 - 03:10 PM (#790484) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Wyrd Sister Keep your sense of humour. Laugh every day - in their hearing, if possible. I'm Primary Special, so can't add a lot from personal experience curriculum-wise. Look after yourself. Put in mega-bribes for the kids, if you use rewards. They know what's going on. Treat Inspectors as you would a (slightly unwelcome?) aunt coming to tea - best bib+tucker, best behaviour in front of them. Don't relax anywhere, anytime, even the loo. Have a "secret place" in school where you can go for a confab when they are having theirs. If an Inspector asks about something in the department one day, make sure to inform whoever is observed the next so they can dish it up. Cynical? You bet! And I'll be asking for favours returned when we get the dreaded brown envelope! |
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24 Sep 02 - 04:09 PM (#790502) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Eric the Viking That's funny, so do I-do the the PHSCE- I include rock n roll (well heavy metal and folk and also teach motorcycle riding),but more Science KS3 & 4, though being a spezial sckool I also do Lit and Num hours. I ain't 'credited wiv nuffing, just an ordinary teacher. But I'm happy-ish! It was no trouble, but I hope explained the details of modern teaching requirements and the demands upon us for other to see.These are the things OFSTED look at, so I thought it would be helpful, and you are welcome. Should you be around the East/West Yorkshire area, we have a good-ish (sometimes bloody good,) session every wednesday, just the thing after a staff meeting! Come along meet other mudcatters, sing, play or watch it don't matter which. But seriously, just in case you don't do this.(You probably do it much better than I) Use Hazcards in the labs, write and have on hand risk assessments,(refer to them in your planning) involve pupils in writing and assessing their own risks, and lab rules, CLEAPPS have some brilliant student risk assessment sheets for this.(get them online) Make sure you know about equal opps and impact of ethnic minorities or other cultures and their impact on science, you could get asked how you address this. Check your school behaviour management policiy, and stick to it (for a while) OFSTED are really good at spotting holes and deviations,they look for inconsistencies. So it's worth reading all policies in case they ask "What, how or if type questions, when they are just chatting. Even if they come for a smoke, and are having a general natter, they are mentally ticking off all sorts of lists and gathering information.Let us know how it goes Cheers Eric |
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25 Sep 02 - 04:13 PM (#791228) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sooz I've just heard that Mike and I have made it to the final of the Write a Song for Lincolnshire Competition - its on Thursday 10th October, the last day of our inspection! It'll take my mind off it nicely. |
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26 Sep 02 - 06:27 AM (#791575) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Pied Piper Hi Sooz. What's the difference between an OFSTED inspector and a plastic surgeon? A plastic surgeon tucks features. BUM BUM All the best PP. |
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26 Sep 02 - 07:08 AM (#791588) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Mr Red And the OFSTED inspector is a tester of specticles? |
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26 Sep 02 - 07:47 PM (#792077) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: breezy Just be yourself and be honest and tell emwhat you believe.I asked the head to send em all to me so i could tell them how it really was, funny they steered well away.As you say you wont lose your job. Use the jokes where they can be seen, pin em up in the staff toilets, live a little. Early retirement was imminent but they were closing the school as a case of economics anyway and kept the worse one open as it was the cheap way out. Its all so false. |
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27 Sep 02 - 05:41 PM (#792634) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Penny S. We were advised by a local advisor, also an Ofsted inspector by moonlight to follow these practices, as well as all the above. Place a chair where you want the intruder to sit. You know the rooms and the children and the criteria you want to use in the choice. You can put your file (the big one with all the year, medium term, weekly and lesson planning in it) nearby, but also have, near the door, a thin file containing the day's lessons, and an analysis of each class concerned. Number of children, boy/girl numbers, proportion of special needs (anything really special, such as the boy I have with a special chair and a scribe). Not in great detail, but to give a quick idea of what they've walked into. Especially if, like one of ours, they've walked into the wrong lesson. If you can, rearrange the planning to avoid any of those lessons where Murphy can intervene - not risk analysis exactly...When I was at school, the science dept. was not allowed to buy platinum electrodes, so the lesson on electrolysis of water turned into one on massaging the results to disguise the inconvenient reaction of oxygen with carbon electrodes. (We were only girls, it would only be wasted on us.) That would not have been a good lesson for inspection - though Ofsted might have got a better provision for the scientists. The lessons you know you have to teach, but that just don't work well. Be yourself, said above, I repeat. And don't be afraid to use humour if you usually do - a good relationship with the children is a strength, and one I was praised for. (I wasn't sure about it before - just thought it would be a get away with it feature of teaching and took a risk). KS2 children are probably better than secondary children at inspections. Ours tend to think they are being inspected too. My niece had very supportive pupils in her KS3 and 4 maths classes, though. Which was good, especially as she met Ofsted in both teaching practices and her first year teaching. I don't have a family. I had all my evening meals out during the week (nowhere special, Sainsbury's coffee shop) so I didn't have to do any cooking or washing up, just work and bed. Cut everything except teaching down to basics that will run on autopilot, and have a good time expected at the end of the week, which I see you have already. All the best, Live long and prosper Penny |
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02 Oct 02 - 06:58 AM (#795365) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: GUEST,Penny S. (elsewhere) Also, after a Murphy ridden day yesterday 1. Get any photocopying done the week before, and have ready in clearly labelled folders, day, time, class etc. 2. Make sure all equipment which will be required is working, and where you can find it. 3. Have any textbooks you're going to need squirrelled away by your technician, or, if you need to share them, make sure that everyone who will be using them knows exactly who to pass them on to. Leave nothing to chance. |
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27 Oct 02 - 06:26 AM (#812312) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Eric the Viking Hey Sooz-how did it go? |
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27 Oct 02 - 11:13 AM (#812471) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: GUEST Relax - consider the options
If you fail...you can become a busker. |
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28 Oct 02 - 09:37 AM (#813094) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Sooz I survived but I haven't seen the report yet! I'm past caring really! At least its over and has now become just a bad dream as we have had the Gainsborough Folk Festival since it ended which was GREAT. (Why weren't you all here with us?) Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and tips. |
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29 Oct 02 - 09:38 AM (#813543) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: Alio Q - what's the difference between a cosmetic surgeon and an OFSTED Inspector? A - the first one tucks up the features, the second one ********* I think you have to keep it all in perspective. They're inspecting just 1 week in a 4 / 6 year span, and it is just a week. You have to keep telling yourself that the weekend's drawing ever nearer. Glad it went OK. Ali |
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29 Oct 02 - 11:13 AM (#813607) Subject: RE: BS: OFSTED soon - any survival tips? From: GUEST,noddy whats the difference between ofsted and hiv. sometimes hiv is positive. |