Ofstead

[kl33]

I think it would be a really good idea to set up an area on here for us to put good/ outstanding lessons in for people to use and get ideas in case of the big OFSTEAD?

[BagelFace]

We shouldn't be 'preparing' outstanding/good lessons for OFSTED, they should be happening anyway!

[Cait]

There are a huge number of threads on here about the expectations of OFSTED here are a few with OFSTED in the title, if you'd like to have a browse.

[finleysmaid]

and of course if you are following childrens interests you won't be able to pre-plan for that!

also as a pre-school i really have a problem with preparing for ofsted....we of course get NO notice at all they just walk in !

[BagelFace]

I think Ofsted should be able to walk into any school at anytime.

[finleysmaid]

i agree and until this happens no inspection will be 'fair' or based on the same criteria

[Susan]

School and pre-school inspections have very little in common.

[finleysmaid]

yes ...but why? i was in the school for their last inspection..the inspector was in the classroom for about 5 minutes asked the staff no questions - though she did ask me some! observed the activity and left. my inspection at pre-school lasted for two days with two inspectors( we only have one smallish room) all my staff were asked masses of questions about all aspects of the pre-school. We are now (or will shortly) be funded the same way, we are asked for sef's etc etc and are required to have the same qualification and to get paid half the amount ....never seems quite fair IMO!

[Fredbear]

Sorry to say i think i would prefer it to stay as it is with regard to the Ofsted inspections being without notice, and i personally think you should have nothing to fear if you feel you are working within the EYFS. However what i wish to see happen is that all inspections are graded on the same level playing field.

Now i'm sure someone will come along to say that all inspectors do work to the same criteria, but i have to say it would appear in reality that this is not always the case.

I would certainly not be preparing just for an imminent Ofsted Inspection, and yes we are due one too: 1b

[Pimms o'clock?]

Can I say here, here to everything Finleysmaid said.

 

In nursery, they (inspectors) spend ages checking out the loo's hand washing and drying arrangements; ferret around in your kitchen; interrogate the staff, picking out the vulnerable nervous ones. ...and in school they "observe the activity" for five minutes, not much activity in schools then if it takes 5 minutes!

 

I have higher early years qualifications and greater experience then the teacher in our local primary, who of course has "QTS" and I only have "EYPS" + MA in Early Years Studies but as far as Ofsted are concerned there must be some stone going unturned for them to hunt out. A whole day for a nursery and five minutes in each class at school. Fair, even handed? I think not.

 

Scrambling down from very tall soap box right now!

 

BMG

Edited November 24, 2010 by BMG

[Fredbear]

You scramble away BMG, thats whats great about the forum it gives everybody the opportunity to air and share.

[Guest Spiral]

I heard that there is a meeting at a higher level happening to discuss whether schools should be getting notice or-whether other settings should be given notice - interesting stuff.

 

Personally I feel notice would be nice, but would send us into a frenzy, but that no setting should ever get notice as it needs to be done as a 'spot check'

 

Interesting thread,

Spiral.

[mundia]

Whilst school inspections do spend much less time on hand washing arrangements, they can spend a lot of time interviewing staff on the step by step progress of every child, analyzing school data, speaking to pupils, and long interviews with leaders and managers. I know when I was last inspected, they spent at least a whole am or pm in each fs class on both days (5 inspectors in all) and then I had a whole afternoon of grilling about pupil performance, progress monitoring, planning, data, action planning etc.

 

On the other hand, Ive been in a setting whilst being inspected where the inspector spent 20 minutes with the chidlren and interviewed the manager and it was all over in 3 hours.

 

The point is here, that everyone's experiences are widely different, we cant really make judgments that PVI inspections and long and arduous and school ones are short and easy..it just isnt like that. Everyone's experiences will differ, and if anyone has been through several, like I have, they are probably all very different.

 

Ive been privileged to have been through both, as a teacher in school, and in a nursery attached to a CC, the experiences were different and both were challenging in their own way, but different.

 

For what its worth Id much rather have the instant no notice inspection, it saves all the faffing about making things 'perfect' and giving yourself sleepless nights for days before hand (which was much worse when you got 6 weeks notice!).

 

But to get back to the original request by kl33, (whose question we seem to have hijacked), its quite difficult to pick out lessons that are 'outstanding' in a way because we are all different in the way we plan and deliver and in the way our chidlren are. True, there are threads in the forum you can find by searching 'outstanding' but in my view, any lesson can be outstanding if you give it due thought and consideration, and once again every inspector is different and what one likes, another may not. I would instead spend time making sure that your general teaching is all round good or better, so that you wow the chidlren every day! Somewhere if I can find it, I have a list of 'what makes a good lesson'. Once I find it, Ill share it.