Ofsted -Raising the Bar?
Monday, 19 April 2010
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NPH fully supports the raising of expectations and achievement in our schools. We are always trying to raise the bar in our schools. However we also expect the bar to be about the same size and shape. This new framework is clearly radically different to the old. The redefinition of Achievement. Attainment and progress has without doubt impacted negatively on many school s, particularly those in challenging circumstances. The new and confused expectations about safeguarding has had many schools preparing paper to provide an evidence trail for Ofsted rather than develop practice to support children. In short this not a settling down process but sadly more of a collective hysteria which is not best serving the interests of our pupils but is providing the number crunchers and bean counters with more data
It is worth reflecting on the meaning of OFSTED - The Office for Standards in Education. It has been around since 1992 and so one could be excused for believing that within the last 18 years it might have done just that and raised standards. On current evidence it seems that standards are a flexible feast and are subject to reinterpretations of what that word means, allowing schools that were good or outstanding to become satisfactory and condemning more schools to being graded inadequate.
NPH support the notion of self assessment monitored by School Improvement partners who track data, monitor issues of safeguarding and contribute to an annual report on the state of a school. This would provide parents and central Government with a meaningful and accurate picture of a school. Unfortunately Government seems welded to the snapshot approach to school inspection, further confusing the picture with changes to the framework, which bring about different outcomes, depending on when you fall into the inspection cycle, and how much you can learn from the often negative experience of others. If less schools fail their Ofsted in the future will that mean standards have risen or schools have just learned the new rules of the game. Our communities and children deserve a more consistent professional solution to judging the quality of our schools than the current approach.
It is worth reflecting on the meaning of OFSTED - The Office for Standards in Education. It has been around since 1992 and so one could be excused for believing that within the last 18 years it might have done just that and raised standards. On current evidence it seems that standards are a flexible feast and are subject to reinterpretations of what that word means, allowing schools that were good or outstanding to become satisfactory and condemning more schools to being graded inadequate.
NPH support the notion of self assessment monitored by School Improvement partners who track data, monitor issues of safeguarding and contribute to an annual report on the state of a school. This would provide parents and central Government with a meaningful and accurate picture of a school. Unfortunately Government seems welded to the snapshot approach to school inspection, further confusing the picture with changes to the framework, which bring about different outcomes, depending on when you fall into the inspection cycle, and how much you can learn from the often negative experience of others. If less schools fail their Ofsted in the future will that mean standards have risen or schools have just learned the new rules of the game. Our communities and children deserve a more consistent professional solution to judging the quality of our schools than the current approach.