Introduction

Inspection is an inevitable part of school life. From a child's first day at school to the day that he or she leaves, educational achievement must be accounted for; and those at the front line of this accountability, in the eyes of the ones with a responsibility to provide an educational service, are teachers.  

The current system of inspection, managed by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) draws heavily on the National Curriculum and standardised assessment tasks as benchmarks for the standard of the education being offered to the nation's children. This combination of inspection, delivery of the national curriculum, and standardised testing has probably been the most vehemently opposed development in education since the Second World War, attracting the attention (and perhaps igniting the imaginations) of the public and the media. Yet, of these developments in education, it was the introduction of Ofsted inspections that seems to have caused the teaching profession unprecedented anxiety, and has elicited strong resistance. Even with the passing of time and the benefit of first-hand experience, the anticipation of inspections still holds, for some, the worst of their fears of inadequacy, however adept and skilled they may be at their jobs.

Inspection has been a part of school life since formal education began, and undoubtedly will continue to be central to education policy for the foreseeable future. As far as the Ofsted system of inspection is concerned, this book is not the place to discuss the merits or otherwise of its adopted methods. What the book sets out to do is to highlight the extent of manoeuvrability that teachers have within this system of inspection, and how effective preparation (and correct information) can help to lessen the negative impact that inspection may have. By acknowledging this, inspection can be seen less as an inevitable hurdle in school life, and more as a valuable tool in development.

An often-held view of inspection is that there's an element of 'hoop jumping' involved. This book does not seek to offer tips to this end. What it aims to do is to help teachers maximise the potential for a positive experience of inspection through practical advice and information that can be realistically implemented by those in the classroom.

The advice and information contained in the following chapters draw heavily on the anecdotes, testimonies, ideas and coping mechanisms of those from all corners of educational life. These are individuals with extensive experience of inspection, be it as leaders and managers, teachers or inspectors. In many cases, the advice is time-tested and chosen specifically to encourage teachers to face inspection squarely and with energy, rather than resignation.

There are enormous difficulties in offering a path through the complexities of inspection as we know it today. An inspection forces many teachers outside their comfort zones; zones that are already extraordinarily far-reaching. By laying bare the bones of inspection and all that it can entail, it is hoped that this book will enable you to expand your comfort zone to include, even embrace, regular inspection. That said, significant differences exist between schools and the way in which inspections are anticipated. For this reason, sources of external support have also been indicated where possible.

Research for this book has evoked diverse remarks about inspection from those involved in education. While I write as someone who has experienced many hours of observation in inspection and who, ultimately, enjoyed the opportunities that inspection gave me to focus on my work and receive feedback on it, I have been mindful of the fact that not all teachers feel the same way. For some, inspection holds a cocktail of fear, insecurity, anxiety and apprehension; and for a few, this is thought to have contributed to the most tragic of outcomes. We're all very different from each other in our perceptions, our strengths and out aptitudes, and so there can be no magic 'fix' to suit all for the professional anxieties we may face. If you would like to contribute your thoughts on how inspection can best be experienced positively, you can email me at: eh@elizabethholmes.co.uk. While not everything can work for everyone, the ideas in this book will, I hope, help you to thrive rather than survive during your inspection. Better still, they may inspire in you positive and creative responses to whatever inspection has in store.

Checklists and tables

In order to have the relevant information presented and retrieved with ease, checklists and tables have been used where possible. The intention is not that these lists should be followed without deviation; rather they should inspire appropriate solutions to the situations you may face before, during and after an inspection.

Action boxes

Sometimes it can be helpful to focus on a potentially problematic aspect of your work in an attempt to draw out solutions. The 'Action' features have been written for this purpose, and do not need to be worked through slavishly.

Example boxes

All of the examples are real experiences, although names have been excluded. In order to highlight or illustrate points made in the text, some of the examples included are relatively unusual, and so they do not necessarily represent the norm.

About boxes

These boxes contain succinct information on many of the burning issues that teachers have regarding inspection.