Dear Ofsted... a letter from Secret Teacher

[sarah707]

Secret Teacher: Dear Ofsted, please can you send me a copy of the real rules? | Teacher Network | The Guardian

I think it says what a lot of us in early years are feeling at the moment ...

[FloraDora]

Read this last week and caused a big discussion in my book group ( all teachers or ex teachers) ... It's the uncertaintity, the not knowing if you are going to do the right thing that will suit a particular inspector. All of us agreed with the article, adding our own fears and experiences.....I can add now the extreme stress of having someone watch you for 4 hours in your own home...in a childminders inspection.....much worse in my opinion than the 40 minute observation you get every so often in school!
The constant changes in the last 8 years doesn't help.....

Good idea flagging up this Sarah, makes us feel we are not on our own in how we feel.

[bunyip]

I have a theory, bear with me..............



If they could ever get beyond the ethics of human genetic manipulation, Ofsted really ought to find one of the few inspectors who seem to know her/his ar5e from his/her elbow and clone them. That way we'd all get some sort of consistency (and we'd always know how many sugars to put in their tea from one inspection to the next.)



Actually, now I come to think of it, maybe they'd do a better job if they just got Dolly the Sheep to conduct all future inspections.

[Simona]

I have a theory, bear with me..............



If they could ever get beyond the ethics of human genetic manipulation, Ofsted really ought to find one of the few inspectors who seem to know her/his ar5e from his/her elbow and clone them. That way we'd all get some sort of consistency (and we'd always know how many sugars to put in their tea from one inspection to the next.)



Actually, now I come to think of it, maybe they'd do a better job if they just got Dolly the Sheep to conduct all future inspections.

Maybe teachers should do what the EY sector did and do a similar thing to OBC?
We did make a difference...imagine if teachers had the same opportunity to challenge and get the inspectorate to do a bit of self reflection for school inspections as well!

[sing-low]

Well yes, and yet no.

I get why there is a need for everyone to be 'singing from the same hymn sheet' and yet every time I hear this, I worry that if that really does happen (and I'm not holding my breath) then we will no longer be allowed to be individuals - to do things differently. Just because something is 'best practice', doesn't mean that there isn't an equally valid and outstanding way of doing things. Especially for childminders, some of whom want to be very much home from home (without labels on boxes, paper towels for everyone and plastic all over the garden) and others who are more on the mini-nursery end of the spectrum.