OFSTED at no notice

Had one of those “drop everything” moments this week when a school where I have a governance role had a no-notice inspection. Can’t discuss the details at the moment, but it was an interesting experience.

My previous exposure to OFSTED inspections has always involved some degree of warning (even if just a day). So this was new, and initially quite frightening for everybody involved. Immediate responses needed when everybody is getting on with the job of teaching and running the school, and can’t necessarily “drop everything” to deal with the needs of the inspection team.

However, it does mean that the inspectors get a true picture of the school. This is what it is really like on a normal day (excepting the look of panic on everybody’s faces). No special preparation, no time to tweak the lesson plans. Could it be that I’m coming round to the idea?