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Ok... here goes! Feel free to send any questions you might have.
Firstly, I am pleased to report our school has moved up an Ofsted grade!
The process was incredibly fair, done WITH and not TO, and inspectors were genuinely looking for the positives.
Ok... here goes! Feel free to send any questions you might have.
Firstly, I am pleased to report our school has moved up an Ofsted grade!
The process was incredibly fair, done WITH and not TO, and inspectors were genuinely looking for the positives.
The Phone Call: 
Pretty standard really... lots of questions about the school context, developments since the last inspection. We ‘picked our own’ Deep Dives... although these will almost always include 2 x Core, 2 x Ebacc and then 1/2 x Open.
Pretty standard really... lots of questions about the school context, developments since the last inspection. We ‘picked our own’ Deep Dives... although these will almost always include 2 x Core, 2 x Ebacc and then 1/2 x Open.
Deep Dive: 
This is simple. It’s all about CURRICULUM. You will hear this everywhere and it is true.
Talk to us about what you want <insert subject> to be like for students?
What are you good at & how do you know?
What do you need to do better and are you addressing this?
This is simple. It’s all about CURRICULUM. You will hear this everywhere and it is true.
Talk to us about what you want <insert subject> to be like for students?
What are you good at & how do you know?
What do you need to do better and are you addressing this?
How do you encourage your students to be experts in <insert subject>?
Do they write and speak like subject experts? Is their vocabulary good and what are their oracy skills like?
Let’s pretend I am a 16 year old/grade 9/potential Oxbridge kid. How are you helping me?
Do they write and speak like subject experts? Is their vocabulary good and what are their oracy skills like?
Let’s pretend I am a 16 year old/grade 9/potential Oxbridge kid. How are you helping me?
And the pièce de résistance... knowledge. KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE KNOWLEDGE. How is this built from one concept to another? Do children know enough to move to the next stage, and how do you know?
Can the children articulate this also?
Can the children articulate this also?
Work Scrutiny: 
I found this the most challenging. In my career I’ve seen what most people think is a work scrutiny. ‘Let’s pick up some books and have a look.’
Think again... inspectors went through book after book after book comparing work to the n’th degree.
I found this the most challenging. In my career I’ve seen what most people think is a work scrutiny. ‘Let’s pick up some books and have a look.’
Think again... inspectors went through book after book after book comparing work to the n’th degree.
What are the differences between two pieces of work from students from different groups (PP/SEN/prior attainment and so on).
Where is the subject specific vocab?
If there is an application activity (eg. Exam question), where is the prior knowledge taught? Show me!
Where is the subject specific vocab?
If there is an application activity (eg. Exam question), where is the prior knowledge taught? Show me!
I would recommend FULLY doing this with your teams. And do it PROPERLY. Get some books and get stuck in!! 
One thing they didn’t give two hoots about... marking. Not a word. Not bothered. An inspector said ‘we’re not worried about marking.’
One thing they didn’t give two hoots about... marking. Not a word. Not bothered. An inspector said ‘we’re not worried about marking.’
Lesson visits: 
Visits, not observations. They were specific about this! Most were light touch, chatting with teachers and students, looking at some work, looked at the condition of classrooms too!
No feedback offered, so tell your staff not to stress too much!
Visits, not observations. They were specific about this! Most were light touch, chatting with teachers and students, looking at some work, looked at the condition of classrooms too!
No feedback offered, so tell your staff not to stress too much!
Challenge: 
This was MASSIVE. Ofsted want children working HARD and doing HARD work.
We were criticised as our year 9 students didn’t know what satire meant in History, nor did they know what syntax was in English.
Bit harsh? I hardly know what syntax is!
This was MASSIVE. Ofsted want children working HARD and doing HARD work.
We were criticised as our year 9 students didn’t know what satire meant in History, nor did they know what syntax was in English.
Bit harsh? I hardly know what syntax is!
Literacy:
This was MASSIVE TOO. Traditionally this will be accepted with a few blags about Accelerated Reader or Fresh Start... not anymore.
‘How are you explicitly providing high ability children with the literacy skills they need to go to a Russell Group University?
Errrr.
This was MASSIVE TOO. Traditionally this will be accepted with a few blags about Accelerated Reader or Fresh Start... not anymore.
‘How are you explicitly providing high ability children with the literacy skills they need to go to a Russell Group University?
Errrr.
Or...
In MFL you teach the imperfect tense. How is this delivered explicitly in English Language lessons?
<Cue a little episode of me flapping>
Think hard about how you’ll talk about literacy, and what you’ll show them.
In MFL you teach the imperfect tense. How is this delivered explicitly in English Language lessons?
<Cue a little episode of me flapping>
Think hard about how you’ll talk about literacy, and what you’ll show them.
The Data Meeting: 
Simple. There wasn’t one. I’m the Data guy at my school and I knew that Ofsted didn’t want to talk data... but then when they actually didn’t it felt bizarre. Nice though
No HT meeting either.
Simple. There wasn’t one. I’m the Data guy at my school and I knew that Ofsted didn’t want to talk data... but then when they actually didn’t it felt bizarre. Nice though
No HT meeting either.
They are just not bothered about external or internal data. Not one question, apart of course to say whether your P8 is good or not! That underlined the IMPACT bit of the Quality of Education judgement.
One thing we have done in my school to do practice Deep Dives with faculties. We bring in external experts (colleagues in our MAT) and we get stuck into a subject. Talk to teachers/kids, look at books and lessons.
Sack off Faculty Reviews
, do this instead
Sack off Faculty Reviews
, do this instead
So... that’s it really.
Overall a very positive, calm, reflective and ultimately fair experience.
@Ofstednews... you do get a lot of stick... but on this occasion, I take my hat off to you. Much improved.
Overall a very positive, calm, reflective and ultimately fair experience.
@Ofstednews... you do get a lot of stick... but on this occasion, I take my hat off to you. Much improved.
Any questions? Please ask or DM!
