OFSTED: Why One Word Can Shake a Whole Staffroom!

What comes to your mind when you hear the word OFSTED?

Is it fear? Challenge? Determination? Horror?

Recently I spoke to a headteacher of an outstanding school. He had just heard he was having another inspection. He told his staff like this “We have an Ofsted inspection, but as you know, we are doing really well. I am so proud of what we do and how much we have achieved, our pupils are doing so well. So please, don’t change what you are doing, treat it as a normal day and continue as usual.”

Immediately, he told me, there were tears, fear, anxiety and stress. Whatever he said, the word OFSTED had been released, and it has such powerful connotations for so many.

Is that fear of failure? Imposter syndrome, will I be found out? I’m not as good as you think. I’m already so tired and have so much to do, will I be on best form? Do I need to make my lessons another level up? If so, how and when? Will I be good enough? Will I let the school down and be the reason we get downgraded? What if they see the wrong moment as I know I can have challenging moments in my class? What if they ask me a question I don’t know how to answer?

What are the myths and what is the reality? I have been part of many Ofsted inspections over the years, particularly in challenging schools or those requiring improvement and the performance anxiety is a real thing for some, alongside emotional concern and simply an overload of expectation, current workload and wanting to show yourself at your best. In a recent Ofsted inspection, a group of us left school for the two nights before at 11pm and arrived back at 5am. One teacher told me she didn’t sleep either before or during the inspection for fear of letting everyone down.

I was recently interviewed for the NAHT podcast. I was asked about the impact of Ofsted on stress for school staff. It is generally agreed that there is a lack of trust in the inspection process and a fear of inspections. Research backs this up. Research says that 99% of surveyed teachers want Ofsted reformed or replaced; 76–82% favour a completely new accountability system.

To add to this, research reveals that 98% of teachers say preparing for and undergoing Ofsted inspections negatively impacts their mental health and wellbeing, with 72% having considered leaving the profession over Ofsted-related stress or workload.

I have a proposal: why don’t we change the name of OFSTED to something more constructive that doesn’t fill everyone with the fear and anxiety attached to the current name? This is what I suggested in my interview to the NAHT. Why not? Perhaps this might then lead to a consideration of what we really seek from an inspection. Do the inspections currently show the reality of a school? Are they fair and accurate reflections? Currently staff don’t trust the system, so why don’t we suggest a change?

From there, could we consider from a human perspective, what might the inspections look like? Could they be less stressful, see more of the reality of day to day bustle, reach fairer judgements that truly reflect a school’s performance?  Could they become more collaborative and less fear-inducing?

I’d like to finish with a reassurance that I hear of some recent inspections where inspectors are kind, good at listening and really care. However, unfortunately, the majority of the staff are unlikely to see this and will still have their overwhelming dread remain.

To conclude, would changing the name help? Could it be a start to changing the process form one that is so detrimental to so many (not forgetting the knock-on impact to the pupils of stressed staff!)?

Here are some ideas from Chat GPT. What would your suggestions be?

·       EdSpire

·       EduLift

·       Elevate Schools

·       NotSted

·       Surprise! It’s just us!

·       The Chill-specters

·       Step Forward

·       True View

·       RISE - Reflective Insight for School Evolution