Ofsted's revised regime

This morning, Ofsted has been all over the media speaking about the revised inspection regime.

Now I am not a union-basher (I actually used to be a Branch Secretary!) but the following bugged me:

But the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, John Dunford, said there was "considerable anxiety" among members about the new inspection framework.
He said: "I am extremely concerned that Ofsted is again raising the bar and making it harder to get good and outstanding grades.
"It's like telling athletes running a four-minute mile that they need to do a mile and a quarter in the same time."

Duh! Isn't that what athletes actually do - try to run faster next time!

In business we realise that you are not progressing if you are standing still - standards need to improve constantly. What is so wrong about the same philosophy applying in education! Or perhaps we should go back to slates, the cane and Victorian educational values?

I see the improved regime as exactly that - an improved (yet probably not perfect) regime. If the teaching union(s) were more prepared to accept that the world changes, that some teachers are actually below par and that our children deserve ever-improving standards of education then I might be more willing to listen to their views. Meanwhile, please get out of our way while those of us who are working for a better future , rather than a comfortable past, get on with delivering it.

Ofsted are (probably) coming...

It is three years in October since we got a Satisfactory ( and reviewing the paperwork it was probably verging on Good)so we reckon that a visit is likely in the Autumn term. So what, if anything, need we be doing in preparation?

The purist answer - to which I fundamentally subscribe - is that if the school is doing its' job effectively then Ofsted should be able to drop in at any time (unannounced inspections) and find the school working well.

The realist/pragmatist's answer is that whilst we want to keep the pressures and stresses on staff to a minimum (it's a tough enough job anyway!), we want to make the best impression possible and that comes from preparation not passivity (Proper Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance!).

So I and the governing body are going to be working with the leadership team to insulate the majority of the staff from any hassle as well as making sure that our ducks actually are lined up. This is where the fun starts...

Governor expenses

Ever a thorny subject, this one has raised itself in my consciousness again, stimulated by an article by Janette Owen in the Grauniad.

Some schools find it hard enough anyway to recruit governors from a wide range of stakeholders, some governors who are in place find it hard to attend meetings due to child (or other) care needs (and, of course they do not have to be a Parent Governor to have this challenge!) and some governors (Chairs especially) have significant expenses – if I take mileage alone, I could legitimately have claimed ca £500 last year.

I suggest that there ought to be a much stronger presumption that governors will claim as appropriate. This might be encouraged by expenses being paid by the LEA from a ring-fenced and adequate budget, which while we are at it ought to include all costs for governor training as well.

To continue to accept that such a critical strategic role should be undertaken by those prepared to pay for the privilege is both unreasonable and unsustainable.

FGB on track!

Great meeting last night. Strategic, challenging, supportive, decisions and sharing of useful stuff - we even discussed "How have we improved the chances for our pupils tonight?"

It's fantastic to come home from a governors' meeting feeling that you have helped make a difference and that everyone else there shares that feeling. How great to be able to 'work' with such a committed and knowledgeable group of volunteers - we really CAN change the world!

It looks like our Inclusive Learning Strategy might be back on track - "how can we help?" is the constant question that we now need in mind.

I have been quiet for far too long on this blog and am still wondering why. However, I came across the following in my colleague Chris Edwards' blog today and found it inspirational:

Bringing out the best in people – in your family, at your school and at your work – is largely determined by the language we use about them and by how much we encourage individual creativity and responsibility... If we want to bring out the best in the people we live with and work with we need to trust them, empower them, engage them, encourage them and celebrate everything they do well. Everywhere we look at the moment ‘the language of blame’ governs relationships, making someone ‘wrong’ and bringing out the worst in people who become frustrated, demoralised, anxious or bolshy. The language of blame is used to dominate and control and we all know that the outcome is to encourage people to simply become mediocre. Watch any ‘soap’, read any newspaper, listen to any journalist interviewing any politician, and you cannot fail to see how widespread and corrosive this approach is. Education Leeds is based on a positive and constructive culture; an approach that values and recognises colleagues as the talented, brilliant, gorgeous and wonderful individuals they are. When I think about the way I act and the way I manage and lead, I ask myself how would I treat a child who was engaging in a task, doing a job or managing a team? How would I help them manage their own self-talk and build their self-esteem to develop their self-efficacy? Surely, then that's the way we should treat our colleagues to build a brilliant school, a brilliant team and a brilliant Education Leeds.

I happen to be aware that some people 'question' Chris' constant enthusiasm and his favourite word "brilliant"; but why? Would you rather be thought and spoken of as being brilliant or rubbish? Do you aspire to brilliance or mediocrity? Language is MUCH more important than we sometimes think. There is some research backing up a bit of my work that suggests that every criticism needs to be counterbalanced by at least 12 congratulations - but why bother with the criticism anyway?

How can you (and I) translate this for our school/workplace/home?

School staff and investigations

Some of the most difficult tasks facing governors are to pass 'judgement' on staff disciplinary matters and to review longer term or permanent exclusions.

I have had a few experiences recently which required teachers to present 'a case' to either a Staff or Pupil Disciplinary Committee. I was disappointed to find that some of the evidence and investigation was of relatively poor quality. I have a background in investigating offences so am familiar with criminal procedure and standards of evidence - although I recognise that we are dealing with the civil standard of proof in these cases - and would not have found much of the investigation or evidence up to standard in my old profession.

It did actually raise the question of the appropriateness of teachers as investigators - not a role for which they are trained or necessarily willing. What must it be like to have to investigate the behaviour of a working colleague? What must it be like to have to conduct an investigation with legal consequences (e.g. one that might lead to dismissal) when untrained?

There is surely a better way - how about each LEA creating a team of independent individuals who are trained in investigation techniques, who would take over investigation of the most serious staff cases (i.e. gross misconduct) and who could advise proactively on e.g. permanent exclusions?

Discuss...

Now that the snow and ice has gone..

...seems to be a good time to reflect and learn.

Many schools closed, many managed to stay open and some managed both! Congratulations are due to the many staff and pupils who made it in to school, sometimes in the most challenging circumstances.

My immediate reflections take me to several issues:

1. Did our transport providers always make the best decisions in the light of the information they, and we, had at the time. In particular, how does it happen that we were unable to contact them until 'too late' to truly consider the situation and make joint decisions?
2. To what extent did over-zealous H&S concerns get in the way of opening our schools?
3. How effective are our processes for letting parents and pupils know of the daily decision in such circumstances?
4. How come schools who struggle to open only to find that significant numbers of pupils cannot get there (for whatever or whoever's reasons) find their 'Unauthorised Absence' figures adversely affected?
   
5. What's the situation regarding staff who did not make it - do they now 'owe' us one or more days' work?

I am sure that there are other questions that deserve exploration - what do you think?

An outsider's frustrations...

As a governor, who has vast experience of and expertise in leading and managing organisations, I find myself often amazed by some practices in the education sector and subsequently frustrated by the slow speed of change. It's a microcosm of the whole public sector and as en ex-employee of a privatised utility I know that things can change and will change. My experience is that the pace of change is largely dependent on the will and expertise of the change leaders.

Meanwhile, it is too easy to see and comment on only the problems.

I hereby commit myself to noticing and praising the great stuff that goes on most of the time. (Whilst also pressing for change where it is needed!)