The Ofsted Circus Comes to Town!

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6045157
Gove, that wonderful man in charge of the counties education has now pushed through the changes announced to school inspections system...again. Now 'Outstanding' schools will be exempt - unless of course the exam and test results slide, because as we all know, exam and test results are the only factors that really matter in the English education system. Ultimately, I know these things are important, but are they really the only things that make a school a good place to be? And what makes that wonderful institution known so affectionately as, Ofsted, both capable and able to pass these judgements? Excuse the cynicism, but surely a more regular, less threatening presence would be more capable of making more realistic and accurate assessments of whether a school is effective or not.
We received a letter this week stating that Ofsted would be inspecting the primary school that 2 of our children attend. I understand that some form of monitoring should be in place and that the education of our children is something that should be monitored so that standards are maintained, but by people sweeping into a place and making judgements based on a couple of days worth of observations? What a farce! If you had not guessed, I'm no fan of Ofsted, I find the whole circus insulting, demeaning and patronising. Because the truth of the fact is that it is a circus, and as with most politically instigated educational policies, it was done on the cheap, with the benefit to children being quite far down on the list of priorities!
In Early Years settings, schools, health care, social services, you find people with clip boards; people incapable of hacking it in any of those positions being scrutinised, behaving like the hand of God and passing judgement on people, who are often more experienced and more highly qualified! The old joke, 'those who can't; teach - and those who can't teach become Ofsted inspectors,' jumps to mind...and it's true. I once had a P.E. lesson inspected by a very elderly woman who stumbled around the playground, tripped over a couple of small children, had to sit on the bench because her ankles were swelling and who hadn't taught for over 12 years...she had possibly been an excellent teacher, in the days when she didn't forget your name half way through the sentence so how could she possibly pass judgement on modern practices in P.E.? Madness...surely people with the power to inspect and judge how well children are taught, should be experts, not failed, disillusioned or retired. One inspector I spoke to had never taught outside of the Independent sector and had displayed little more than a text book understanding of state education let alone the workings of an inner-city school! My friend's private nursery was inspected by a lady whose only experience of childcare was as a childminder, how could she possibly be aware of what to look for, it's such a vastly different area of expertise.
At a meeting I attended which was led by one of the chief inspectorates with responsibility for the EYFS, she did assure the grumbling audience that all inspectors would soon be qualified to degree level. Listening to her speak was not far removed from watching paint dry, only without the benefits of intoxicating fumes. A hypnotising tactic I believe they are taught to employ so that those being inspected don't actually listen to the nonsense they speak and they manage to leave the site without being stabbed with sharpened pencils...oh it was a lovely lesson, but I can't give you anything more than a satisfactory because your board is too small...and other such enlightening statements.
As I said, I understand that some form of monitoring does need to be in place and fans of Ofsted will always argue that they know what they are looking for, that they can always 'see through' any show and inconsistencies and identify problems. I have to disagree. Schools have an idea when Ofsted will show, they know roughly what areas they'll be evaluating and they usually get enough notice to run around like headless chickens and plug any gaps before the 'team' show up. Inspectors are naive, when I have said this to inspectors I know they have looked aghast, 'no, no school would do that and even if they tried, we would spot it straight away!' Obviously, they have talents beyond the general population to spot bull?
And maybe that is the real issue with Ofsted...the inspectors actually believe the hype, they really see themselves as having God-like power to spot 'truth'. All that daily passing of judgements goes to their heads until they actually begin to believe that their value-judgements are correct. Once they reach this Zen like state, their word becomes truth. The ineffective head, who bullies staff and ignores the children, but who fills in the right sheets of paper and who can say the fashionable buzz words becomes a Meta-human and an asset, rather than the obstructive prat that they really are.
This week for the first time since the EYFS was introduced (2008 for those who don't know) our children's nursery and reception playground actually had toys in it when we arrived! Amazing! Nothing to do with Ofsted though obviously, it happens every day, I just obviously hadn't noticed the bread crates, dens and trikes littering the place before and of course any inspector would always see through any circus performance...wouldn't they?!