After almost 16 years an inspection team finally arrived on the doorstep of BWS! I took the initial ‘phone call late on Monday morning last week and then, in the early afternoon, the scene setting conversation with one of His Majesty’s Inspectors. The last visit was so long ago that I could barely remember it, so this was virtually carte blanche for me, and I suspect that it would have been the same for many of the teachers too. At the start of term I had somewhat prophetically warned that the roulette wheel of fate might stop on our colour this academic year, but that if it did it would give us the chance to show the school off at its best.
The first day started frenetically as the inspection team of five pitched into snap shot lesson observations throughout five so-called ‘deep dive’ subjects – Maths, Science, English, History and Art – as well as meeting groups of students, looking at student work and having focused meetings with staff. The Heads of Academic Departments faced the brunt of the ordeal, starting the day with a detailed discussion about curriculum design and then accompanying their allocated inspector through lessons. And then the heavens opened and a Biblical downpour soaked the centre of Salisbury, flooding playgrounds and ruling out the use of two mobile classrooms which had become stranded in a lake of sizeable proportions on the Back Yard. High pressure rescheduling enabled all of the observations and meetings to continue, but only just; one meeting had to be moved to the Dining Hall at the last minute as the dominoes continued to fall, but we made it (just!).
Day 2 was different. A series of topical meetings with a broad cross section of staff, teaching, pastoral, technical and support, and more meetings with students this time largely at the top of the age range. More lesson visits to check on various aspect of the provision based on audit trails established earlier in the inspection. And then, finally, collation of evidence (observed by senior school staff) and then the Feedback Meeting with senior staff and governors (both present and online).
At the end of it all I was left with a positive impression of a professional dialogue held between two teams of people who both wanted the same thing – excellent outcomes for the youngsters in our care. My professional association has spoken recently of making OfSTED ‘less punitive and more constructive’. I get this, but on the basis of my experience this time around I wasn’t unhappy with the experience at all, and I felt that school staff were able to engage with the inspection process. There will always be points for improvement to be sure, but the points that arose were agreed by both sides and the work that will result will make things even better for the girls and boys who come to school here in The Close. As for the outcome – you’ll have to wait until near to the end of this term for that…!
