A belated happy new year – I hope you all managed to have some rest at the end of last year, and like me, are fully refreshed for this new term.
Already this term, I have been at conferences across the country meeting our Ofsted Inspectors and Her Majesty’s Inspectors. We reflected on the first term of inspections under the new framework and how the new ways of working were bedding in. As I said on Twitter, my main message to all our inspectors was “Don't stop thinking like a good teacher or leader – remember what's practically possible”.
Videos on inspection
In a similar vein, we’re continuing to dispel myths about what our inspectors 'expect' to see or read when they visit a school, as set out in our clarifications document Ofsted inspection: myths.
It’s really important that people understand what our inspectors do and don't look at, or expect, when we inspect. So from today, we’re publishing a series of videos featuring our Regional Director for London, Mike Sheridan and our Deputy Director for Schools, Joanna Hall. The short films tackle specific myths around marking and pupil feedback, lesson planning, grading and observation.
By enabling leaders and teachers to have a better understanding of how inspections work, we aim to help inspection improve your work, not be a burden. If teachers are told that the reason for doing something is 'because Ofsted wants it’, we want to be even clearer on whether that is the case or not – invariably it will not!
Tell us what you'd like to know
Finally, it’s now been six months since we started this blog, and it’s great to see that the number of people reading our posts is increasing month by month. I’d welcome your thoughts and suggestions in the comments box on what other topics or issues you’d like us to cover or clarify through this blog in the future.
Share widely
Please share the links to this blog, the Ofsted myths document, and the videos with your colleagues and other contacts, adding #OfstedMyths.
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