Will inspection meet your expectations?
Penning this page in mid-November, it feels like Christmas is already here, such is the sheer pressure of commercialism and little regard for the real meaning of Christmas. Christmas aside, Ofsted continues with new inspections, some of which have already taken place, and if anything, the pressure continues; it’s different, but that does not imply better.
The inspection will check on staff well-being, which is good to see. But there’s a sting in the tail, while inspectors depart at 6 pm, they may leave a shopping list of wants for the following morning. Preparing this list can take into the wee small hours, then be greeted by an inspector asking if you are OK. Perhaps the response should be ‘not really, seeing as I had little sleep’.
In Ofsted’s defence, they say they don’t ask for anything a provider shouldn’t already have. While this is true, providers have no advance notice of the shopping list, and even if they have the information, providing it in the format Ofsted wants takes time. It would be constructive if the lead inspector supplied their list at the planning call, so ask.
Providers are asked to upload information and documents to the Ofsted portal. This is fine as long as inspectors actually read it, sadly, evidence shows otherwise.
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