OFSTED – new frameworkSome reflections from Fairlands Middle School

Peter Elmy12-3-12

NoticeI was personally a bit twitchy this week because 2 ½ years since

inspection, a funeral and Russia trip the week after.Phonecall at 10:30am Monday from “someone called Tribal” –

coming Wednesday at 8amRob Pyner HMI called shortly afterI was told to register on the Tribal portal, straightforwardEmergency break-time staff meeting.70 minute phonecallYour form of self evaluation (with judgements), Improvement

Plan, list of staff and those in meetings, by 6pm that afternoonQuestionnaire – out to parents and organise for pupils the next

day.I was able to influence the timetable for the team.

PIBNext morning 6.50am phone call – mechanics of the 2

daysReport is much more stark – 4 key judgements, PSMCE

woven into the text as are most of ECMI was emailed a list of pupil types requiredJoint observations.Series of questions raised in the PIB:

Attainment in English and Maths - standardBoysHow is leadership effective in leading the improvement and

does this leadership extend across the school

End of Day OneDetailed review after day one – a much more pleasant

experience than our previous inspection.Some things signed off

CP, boys, moderated year group standardsAgreement of joint observations

One inspector seemed a little more ‘last framework’ than the others, some clarification from headteacher was listened to.

Next steps:Interview curriculum leaderLearning walksMore groups of children to be gatheredA discussion with me which at this point was already writing the

development point for the final report.

AchievementAchievement - Focus on progress in every year, by

every ‘group’ and in every class.Need to explain – Somerset approach to non-

statementingReference points for pupils in our school:

what do we use as a benchmark – what validation is there – CATS were so useful! Plus we re-do the Y4 tests at the beginning of Y5.

of course the hardly relevant Raiseonline!! any external evaluation, SIP reports external marking

of tests etc. esp. at end of Y8.Year 8 lesson work/books– thoroughly scrutinised!

TeachingTypicality and planning over time - “do you always get oral

feedback like that?” etc. etc. to pupils – ours are very honest.Almost all staff observed - some 3 times (En and Ma) – some

not at all – most included in learning walks.Groups of pupils - SEN is no excuse. How fluent are we about

the progress of groups of children including ‘that group there’ potentially disaffected pupils?

Is good behaviour planned for? Is challenge an integral opart of planning for all pupils?

Groups of pupils extracted from lessons for interviews – subject , behaviour, differentiation. This then upset staff that their lessons had been disrupted. And “can I have some lower ability students now please?” asked rather too loudly into classrooms by inspectors in my opinion.

more TeachingReading – what do we understand by phonicsTeaching is not judged on activity or even competence of the

teacher but learning over time and/or learning in this lesson.Learning walks -Team sent off to explore one subject even

more carefully (if there are issues there we must finds them)!

To pupils “Did you fill in our questionnaire?” – then checked the register - No cheating on the pupil questionnaire.

Missed opportunities in lessons – differentiation.Tension of the teachers – more relaxed on the second day.Consistency with no hands up – an issue for us perhaps, but

also very useful as an example of rolled out strategy.

Behaviour and safetyAttendance/exclusions etc. data for behaviourImpact of specialism on learning across the school –

easy but imact of specialism(Technology) on behaviour in say drama?

CRB = Leadership not safetyRacist and bullying logs.Parent and pupil questionnaires are key to this. The

most significant factor for us as there were not issues in school. Parent questionnaire - 97% behaviour agree or strongly agree, but 92% agree or strongly agree that lessons are not disrupted.

Compliant or engaged

LeadershipAt all levelsLeadership – how confident are we as SLG, CLs,

HOYs of the standards of learning and other things. Curriculum = leadership.

How are teachers held to account.SCR = leadershipImpact of CPDGovernors brought in and interviewed.HMI liked to see things systematic and formal – liked

our self evaluation timeline.