Ofstead - how accurate is it?

[ArcaneSpark]

Hello,

I was hoping for some guidance on your opinions of schools!

Our local primary is classed as requires improvement and the secondary as satisfactory. We love our house but it would need an attic conversion or extension to make it future proof.

How much attention would you pay to ofstead reports? Would you move to a better catchment ( taking on a bigger mortgage) or stay, do home improvements and hope the schools improve.

We need to be filling out the school forms for my LB by next Sept!

 

[discoclare]

Do you know anyone with kids at either that you can ask about what is going on? Have you read the latest OFSTED reports carefully, because it will detail the exact reasons why the school is considered inadequate, and sometimes these can be a lot to do with stuff like finances, safeguarding (which is bad, but can be turned around quick) and not much to do with quality of teaching. And again this is where experience of local parents may help you.
So your local one has been placed in special measures / section 8 or whatever they call it? In this case it may get a lot of help to turn things around. Have you looked at the section 8 inspection reports on OFSTED website? There are two schools close to me in special measures, for one the section 8 reports keep saying things are improving (and in fact it is just coming out of SM), the other the reports are BAD, saying that management aren't listening or making the required changes to improve the quality of the teaching. I don't know what will happen because it is a church school so not sure if they can force it into an academy or not in the same way they can with community schools. And that's another thing to bear in mind, if a school is in special measures it may be forced into changing to an academy, which could be a good or a bad thing. It's a tough call.
Are there other schools nearby that you may stand a good chance of getting into?

 

[ArcaneSpark]

Hi,

I haven't had a detailed read of reports yet. I don't know any-one at the school, but I might see if I can strike up conversation in the local coffee shop at pick up time.

 

[Foogirl]

I think taking Ofstead in isolation is the wrong thing to do, unless a school has been deemed to be proper failing. The main thing to think about is how that school will fit with your child. All schools do some things better than others and results are pretty much dictated by the socioeconomic mix of the school. Take for example a school that is in a very affluent area. Let's say it gets 80% of it's pupils to the top grade. That's easy to do because statistically they will have a higher percentage of children from well educated parents and also a higher percentage of parents who engage with the school when there are problems and can afford to pay for private tutors where children struggle. Now let's look at a school in an area of social deprivation. It has maybe 60% of pupils in the top grade. That's much harder to do and it means the teaching staff have to find a way to engage parents and spend a lot more time and effort education the pupils in ways that suit them without external support. Which is the better school?

You find some schools do far better with children who have additional needs or need a bit more help. No matter what the overall result of the school, if your child needs additional support that would be the best one. Our old catchment school failed on almost everything, but it's enhanced provision unit is the best in the area. Think about how your child is. If they are fairly bright and learn more easily than others then you need to pick a school that pushes bright children beyond their comfort zone. If they struggle then you need one that excels in helping children who are less able.

We were pretty much forced to move because no matter how good the reports of the school were, the older school building our catchment school had wasn't accessible enough for our daughter. We were prepared for her to attend a failing school that helped her be more independent because that was something we couldn't supplement at home. Thankfully our daughter will do well academically no matter where she goes so it was less of a concern for us. But if she does struggle we can pay for tutors.

 

[Eternal]

I agree with FooGirl that it can't be taken in isolation. It's just a report of the school.

However, my sons school has a fairly damning report and from my perspective it's fairly accurate, it cristises management, which I agree is shocking there. However, my son has autism and I think a large persentage of parents with children with special needs in mainstream schools have similar issues and challenges.

But every negative in the report I had noticed previous to reading it,also its funny that one of ots positive points was good communitication with parents which is actually apualling. I get text messages the day before inset days, or strike days, or dress up days. Plus in my case my child isn't allowed in for his full hours as they can't cope with him, so I also miss out on newsletters, although half the thing I get last minute texts for are not on the newsletter either.

It's not all negative, and mostly it's the deputy head teachers incompetence that is the issue rather than the whole school.

 

[ladyluck8181]

I am a great believer that if a child wants to learn they will, regardless of how the school is rated.

That being said.......... we fought a huge battle to get our eldest son into the best school in town, it had been rated outstanding for the last 3 ofsted reports. It had one at the end of November 2013 and got knocked right down to 'special measures', the lowest any school can get

We have decided to remove our son and put him in the local comp which is rated 'needs improvement' as it would give him nearly 2 extra hours at home a day, those hours are currently spent travelling for him. He leaves at 7.30am and depending on if he missed the bus or not he does not get home til 4.30, it has even been as late as 5.30 before.

A schools rating can change so easily I would not use it to base your choices on.

 

[stephx]

I would go on your visit to the school more than the ofstead report alone.

I visited 2 schools that we're rated as 'requires
Improvement' and they were totally different. 1 was dire I would literally rather her not receive an education at all the other was fantastic- not our 1st choice but I certainly wouldn't mind her going there.

Speak to the head and teachers and have a look round the school before you rule it out x

 

[RachA]

Do you know anyone with kids at either that you can ask about what is going on? Have you read the latest OFSTED reports carefully, because it will detail the exact reasons why the school is considered inadequate, and sometimes these can be a lot to do with stuff like finances, safeguarding (which is bad, but can be turned around quick) and not much to do with quality of teaching. And again this is where experience of local parents may help you.
So your local one has been placed in special measures / section 8 or whatever they call it? In this case it may get a lot of help to turn things around. Have you looked at the section 8 inspection reports on OFSTED website? There are two schools close to me in special measures, for one the section 8 reports keep saying things are improving (and in fact it is just coming out of SM), the other the reports are BAD, saying that management aren't listening or making the required changes to improve the quality of the teaching. I don't know what will happen because it is a church school so not sure if they can force it into an academy or not in the same way they can with community schools. And that's another thing to bear in mind, if a school is in special measures it may be forced into changing to an academy, which could be a good or a bad thing. It's a tough call.
Are there other schools nearby that you may stand a good chance of getting into?

Just picking up on the bit you said about being a church school etc. the school my son goes to is a church school and it became an academy as of 1st April this year. It wasn't forced into it as it's ofstead is ok. Not sure if your query was whether a church school can become an academy or if they can be forced to become one. If the first then yes they can choose to become one

 

[discoclare]

Do you know anyone with kids at either that you can ask about what is going on? Have you read the latest OFSTED reports carefully, because it will detail the exact reasons why the school is considered inadequate, and sometimes these can be a lot to do with stuff like finances, safeguarding (which is bad, but can be turned around quick) and not much to do with quality of teaching. And again this is where experience of local parents may help you.
So your local one has been placed in special measures / section 8 or whatever they call it? In this case it may get a lot of help to turn things around. Have you looked at the section 8 inspection reports on OFSTED website? There are two schools close to me in special measures, for one the section 8 reports keep saying things are improving (and in fact it is just coming out of SM), the other the reports are BAD, saying that management aren't listening or making the required changes to improve the quality of the teaching. I don't know what will happen because it is a church school so not sure if they can force it into an academy or not in the same way they can with community schools. And that's another thing to bear in mind, if a school is in special measures it may be forced into changing to an academy, which could be a good or a bad thing. It's a tough call.
Are there other schools nearby that you may stand a good chance of getting into?

Just picking up on the bit you said about being a church school etc. the school my son goes to is a church school and it became an academy as of 1st April this year. It wasn't forced into it as it's ofstead is ok. Not sure if your query was whether a church school can become an academy or if they can be forced to become one. If the first then yes they can choose to become one

Thanks, yeah I suspected that a church school could opt to become an academy, but not sure how it works with forcing "failing" schools, since they keep trying to make community schools into academies but if a school is Voluntary Aided then the LEA isn't really in charge of the school like they are with a community school. It so bloody complicated!

 

[Snow Owl]

We have two local primaries, let's say A and B.

A. Doesn't do school plays, end of year parties, sporting events (sports day is non competitive), sports clubs.

B. Does all of the above plus theme days (eg Tudor day when kids all dress up and spend the day living as Tudors), runs multiple after school clubs and has an activity week every year where the kids get to chose a selection of activities (crafts, nature stuff, skiing etc). They also run forest camp where kids are taught about safety in nature and fire safety around a campfire. Oh and there's a residential trip for the upper year.

A is ofsted outstanding, B is good.

However I will be sending mine (hopefully) to B. Doesn't matter to me that they arnt the highest rated school in the city (A is) for results. I just don't get the feel of A!

 

[Quartz]

We have two local primaries, let's say A and B.

A. Doesn't do school plays, end of year parties, sporting events (sports day is non competitive), sports clubs.

B. Does all of the above plus theme days (eg Tudor day when kids all dress up and spend the day living as Tudors), runs multiple after school clubs and has an activity week every year where the kids get to chose a selection of activities (crafts, nature stuff, skiing etc). They also run forest camp where kids are taught about safety in nature and fire safety around a campfire. Oh and there's a residential trip for the upper year.

A is ofsted outstanding, B is good.

However I will be sending mine (hopefully) to B. Doesn't matter to me that they arnt the highest rated school in the city (A is) for results. I just don't get the feel of A!

we were in a similar situation and chose B and I am very glad we did. I found my A to be too focused on results at the detriment of everything else.

I probably would not go for a 4 (special measures etc) over another one but I would look at the report see why it got what it did and what measures are being put in place and visit and get a feel for the school. As soon as I walked into my A I knew it was not for us, as soon as I walked into our B school I knew it was.

 

[bubblychick]

I wouldn't put too much on OFSTED, The school that DDs nursery is attached to (the school she will be attending in September) has been requires improvement for a few years, but it's just earned a good rating. DD loves it, has made plenty of friends and really enjoys what she learns and does, the school has nativity, sports days, days out, they have own clothes day every Friday.

I wouldn't look at a school by its OFSTED rating alone unless it was really failing.

 

[Dragonfly]

Where do you find ofsted reports I googled my sons school and cant find any?

Edit: must be English thing as there seems to be none in NI.

 

[Foogirl]

Where do you find ofsted reports I googled my sons school and cant find any?

Edit: must be English thing as there seems to be none in NI.

https://www.etini.gov.uk/index/inspection-reports.htm I think this is the NI equivalent. We don't have ofstead in Scotland either.

 

[Dragonfly]

No schools in my town on any of them reports. I only found governors report on my sons school which is all they must do. Good school though anyway.