No Ofsted for Outstanding schools?

[Bewildered]

Currently schools that receive an outstanding are left for approx 4yrs before Ofsted revisit; schools that do not fare so well are seen again more quickly. So there is already some latitude built in for the outstanding schools. To stop completely still doesn't make sense.

[Sally-Anne]

yes there is an "outstanding" (according to the banner) primary school I pass sometimes, not in a great area and rarely manages 11 plus passes but obviously manages to tick plenty of boxes to with trying and caring etc

Yes, that is a very interesting observation. I read an OFSTED report recently for a school that was also rated "Outstanding" overall. Virtually the only weakness was in "the standards reached by learners", i.e. actual educational achievement, for which the school was rated a "2" (Good). The school is a third of the way down the SATs league table for the county and less than 10% of the 50+ pupils pass the 11+, against the Bucks pass rate of 30%. It just ticks all the caring, sharing boxes for an OFSTED report.

[mike1880]

Ofsted doesn't really look at academic attainment; if it did, all schools in leafy suburbs would be "outstanding" and all inner city schools would be "unsatisfactory". It certainly looks at whether a school has adequate procedures to monitor attainment and added value, and to the best of my knowledge it also looks at added value itself. So a school that potters along getting pretty good results when it should be getting exceptional results can expect a kicking; on the other hand, just because a school is "outstanding" it doesn't mean you'd want to send your kids there. It may just mean it's making the best of a bad job in terms of intake.

Mike

[dyslexichelpneeded]

I'm afraid I have little faith in Ofsted anyway. I have experience of two so-called 'outstanding' schools, and have never felt that either of them should be so classified - either on the strength of the teaching offered, or on their pastoral care.

[Sally-Anne]

Ofsted doesn't really look at academic attainment

I won't make a habit of disagreeing with you Mike, but they do look at the quality of academic provision. Any school rated "outstanding" should be providing something more than what amounts to below-average outcomes for the children.

It may just mean it's making the best of a bad job in terms of intake.

The school I mentioned certainly has some challenges because of a significant number of non-native speakers of English, but it also has a good proportion of children from middle class, British families. Those children are unquestionably being failed by the school on the 11+, and it suggests very strongly that mediocrity is the order of the day, with brighter children not being stretched.

[wonderwoman]

I have had children at 2 primaries rated as outstanding by Ofsted, one twice and it was revisited within 3 years. They are very different, but both are happy, vibrant schools. I pay little attention to league tables and none to 11+ results. Some friends found that having sent their children to a state school with a good 11+ record, that they were more or less forced out. Perhaps their children were not ideal 11+ candidates. Needless to say, good results on paper, but no outstanding grade from Ofsted.

[Gman]

I would rather see Ofsted's focus shift from box ticking to actually judging the standard of the teaching.

And no they should not stop inspections. What they should stop are pre announced inspections, and make them all surprise viists.

[katel]

And 11+ pass rate is the worst possible measure of a primary school. The really important measure if you want to judge the teaching and academic achievement is the Value Added. And then rally important bit of Value Added to look as is whether the progress is maintained throughout toe school - some do a brilliant job in KS1, for example, then less well in KS2.

[Looking for help]

Crazy idea, I guess it's the first of many cuts we will be seeing

Well, I can think of things I would rather see ringfenced and protected from cuts than Ofsted inspections, and surely no-one is going to argue that we don't need cuts?

I'm not a particular fan of ofsted myself, but recognise that teachers and schools need to be monitered to ensure the provision of education for the children is as good as it can be. Whether this is done effectively by ofsted or any other organisation willing to take on the challenge is fine by me. We are being told that schools can opt out of local authority control, (really quickly if they have outstanding ofsted reports) and now we're being told if they have outstanding ofsted's they won't need to be inspected. Effectively that means that new 'outstanding' academies will be able to do whatever they like, with no national curriculum to follow and no-one checking that the children are getting what they deserve.
I think that's crazy
I know there have to be cuts, but we cannot be sacrificing our children's education , sadly it seems that this new governemnt is targeting education, with no idea whether it is going to be better or worse, but one thing's for certain, it will cost them less, surely ?

[yoyo123]

sadly it seems that this new governemnt is targeting education, with no idea whether it is going to be better or worse,

sounds familiar