Keep Calm and Carry On It's Only Ofsted!

I was one of those "fortunate" NQTs that worked in a school that, in the autumn term, with a diverse and incredibly challenging class, received THE phone call. I can quite honestly say that was one of the most stressful and pressured two days of my life. You can only understand the pressure of an inspection if you have worked in a school that have had Ofsted in. But, despite my inexperience, I made it through in one piece... just!

Our school received the label of "satisfactory" on that inspection. The dictionary definition is "satisfying demands, expectations, requirements and being acceptable." Any school labelled, "Satisfactory" will know that it carries with it an entirely different dictionary definition. The inspectors deemed our prospect for improvement "good" and they vowed to return to our school in a years time to repeat the process. Two years later, I've moved year groups, sat through countless staff meetings where the big O was mentioned "in passing", been on courses and undergone many changes in routines and policy within school. Less than two weeks into the year and walking through the corridor with a group of children, the deputy passes me with a big, slightly manic grin on his face, saying, "there's a meeting at 3:30 in the staff room, all staff need to attend." to which, my reply was, "is that what I think it is?" and he nodded affirmative.

Ofsted were coming.

We went for a whole school staff briefing with the head explaining that Ofsted will be coming into school the next morning, a team, 3-strong, and that the school will be ordering in some pizzas for anyone that wants to stay a little later to prepare for the next day.

To say I was slightly nervous was an understatement. But I am incredibly proud to say that I am part of a team that immediately banded together and the TAs stayed later in school, despite not being paid any extra, to ensure that we were ready to show the inspectors the amazing work we do every day in our school.

My husband couldn't quite understand why I was having to stay a bit later at school, because in his words, "aren't you doing what you would usually be doing every day anyway?" My reply was, yes, of course, but this is different. This is the crux moment of two years hard work. This is the two-day window to show off all of the incredible things that happen everyday but usually "behind closed doors". It had to be the best it could possibly be. While, I admit, this is my aim every day I step in front of a class of children, it is not every day that every tiny minute of every day has the potential to be scrutinised and judged. In that respect, although the teaching and learning is business as usual, underneath the surface for every teacher it most definitely is not!

I have to say, our year group team, and the entire school, banded together amazingly. There is nothing like the prospect of an HMI inspection to rally the troops and provide a bit of team building at the start of the year - particularly with an entirely new group of teachers and TAs in our year group.

As I mentioned, I was one of the "fortunate" NQTs thrust into the Ofsted inspection process early on in my career. But the three NQTs starting out at my school this time round hardly had time to stop their heads spinning before the phone call came through. This time around was an entirely different experience from start to finish. I think this stems from the greater level of expertise on my part - what a difference two years of teaching makes - along with the wider changes we have implemented as a team since the previous inspection, including:

•  New marking and feedback routines
• A brand new school library
• Introduction of school radio equipment
• High level of CPD for staff
• New members of the leadership team
• A fabulous pastoral support team with a wide range of skills

The moment that the lead inspector introduced himself and the team, I was immediately put at ease, as mad as it may sound. They seemed genuine in their desire to observe, share good practise and offer support as well as provide an overall judgement of the school. I was (fortunately in my opinion) observed in my very first lesson of the day: literacy. The children were totally immersed in their writing when she entered my classroom, each one of them highly engaged and buzzing about writing lost posters to find Percy the Park Keeper. She spoke to me briefly about the input that she had missed and observed unobtrusively. The inspector stayed in the room for over 45mins, 20 minutes after my lesson had finished. The learning intention was to use describing words, so I gave the children further opportunities to demonstrate and apply the knowledge they acquired through the lesson, by singing songs with actions, freezing every so often to generate describing words for the animal/object they were singing about. I even caught the inspector smiling a few times.

After receiving feedback from the lesson, she claimed she stayed for such a long time, purely as she was enjoying the lesson so much. Whatever it may mean, the lesson was deemed good with outstanding features. The inspector seemed to genuinely want to offer ideas for improvements and at no point did I feel like I was being "caught out". I think it is very easy for those in education to demonise Ofsted, myself included at times, but at the heart of it - MOST OF THE INSPECTORS, NOT ALL - are in the job to share good and outstanding practice amongst schools and ensure a certain level of quality assurance that I cannot dispute the need for. Every teacher should be held to account and responsible for the quality of education they provide for children entrusted to them every day. It wasn't until the observer walked into my classroom that I realised how much it meant to me that an outsider was impressed with the teaching and learning and the fantastic children that I work with every day are. When you invest so much of yourself into every moment of your working day (and, let's face it, every moment of your waking day) to your job, of course you want to impress the person watching.

I am yet to hear the official judgement. And although the stamp, whatever it may be, takes nothing away from the hard work and amazing things that happens at my school every day, I would be lying if I said it meant nothing. While the labels that are thrown about to rank schools still exist, the immense pressure remains on school and those that work within them to conform to the check-list they are measured by. But there remains some things that cannot ever hope to be measured by the Ofsted inspections that are, in my opinion the most important aspects of school life. For example, the relationship, understanding and trust between teacher and pupil, the shared laughter of a class, that magical moment when a child achieves something great, however small it may seem to an outside observer, my list could go on. It is those aspects of school life that continues my love of my job.

I am so incredibly proud to be part of a school that has such a supportive, dynamic, exciting and inspiring staff. Regardless of the official judgement, I know that we are great. We take children from some challenging backgrounds, offer them new experiences, raise expectations, broaden their horizons and send them out into the big wide world richer for the experience and with their potential unlocked and beginning to shine through in preparation for secondary school and beyond. Whatever challenges we may face in the future, we will face them together. Ofsted I'd like to thank you for showing and proving to me that my colleagues really are the most wonderful people I could hope to work with.

Has your school faced THE phone call so far this year? How was your experience?