I love this article by Mick Waters. What impressed me the most was a very simple concept:
“… if every Ofsted inspector as part of their contract had to teach for a continuous half-term every year, we’d see a better inspection system.”
Waters goes on to talk about how inspectors would develop more humility when observing teachers. Perhaps this could also be said of the people that govern the education system in the UK. Imagine the current education secretary Michael Gove teaching up to 5 or 6 periods per day, for 5 days a week, within a 7 week half term. I know what you’re thinking – he wouldn’t be able to hack it. In fact, the students would hammer him, especially if the following video is anything to go by:
I am of the opinion that all people who make judgments and decisions that involve schools, teachers and students should have direct experience of working within the contexts that they will affect. I’ve experienced 2 OFSTED whole school inspections: one inspector in particular was great – he worked in a local authority with teachers and students. Consequently, he did show great humility and appreciation when recognising challenging students and the expertise of teachers. Others I must say were less so. They seemed to be so far removed from the realities of teaching that their knowledge of pedagogy, classroom practice and learning was seriously lacking – yet they have the authority to grade a Teacher based upon a 20 minute period of classroom observation as ‘inadequate’, ‘satisfactory’, ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. Figure that out!
How can it possibly be right that people from the past, present and probably future, are making decisions without direct experience of what it is that they are affecting? Yes they have of course attended school – but surely you require more than this and their political convictions?
The photo of a post-it-note is from a recent 4 day training event that I attended with the NCSL at their headquarters in Nottingham. 40 participants collated 120 key learning points from the residential and were whittled down to just the one that I have highlighted – not rocket science but a poignant moment nevertheless. I suppose this is what attracts me to Twitter: real life educators that are doing brilliant things with students and people in schools across the world.
So if you’re an Education Secretary, an OFSTED inspector or a professional who makes decisions that affect education, show some humility based upon an appreciation for the craft that is teaching via first hand experience – it isn’t too late to get some. As Mick Waters suggests, get yourself working in a school and perhaps then you’ll learn some incredible things, from some incredible people!
Great post Jamie. There’s so much one could say about how Ofsted could be improved but you have identified what might be the crux of the problem.
Amen Brother! As ever insightful and to the point. The only thing that disturbs (in a nice way) me about your blog is that whenever I read a post, the voice in my head is your Yorkshire twang. As I said, disturbing in a nice way
Good point Jamie and succinctly made. I think you need it not only so you have real experience of what it is you are judging and can understand the way classrooms work and recent pedagogy but also to give credibility to the messages you want to deliver. We had what I think were an excellent team last time around with very accurate and fair judgements (in my not so humble opinion) but it would be very easy for people to dismiss comments with ‘well,when was the last time they had to ..’ type comments. Recent classroom experience would not only help the judegments but also the inspectors with what should be their main aim- evaluation to aid school improvement.
Agreed Colin about the need to prevent ‘well, when was the last time they had to ..’ type comments but as you say such work experience would aid their main priority of evaluating/aiding school improvement. Also agree that they do get things right but other times they don’t. Credibility is the watch word.
Jamie