0370 270 6000

Search

Search Mobile

collapse

already registered?

Please sign in with your existing account details.

Email address

Password

Sign in with LinkedIn

need to register?

Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.

Privacy statement - Terms and conditions

Register with LinkedIn

Forgotten your password?

collapseSign

Browne Jacobson home

Education home

Insights

Blogs

Are lesson observations a lottery?

are lesson observations a lottery?

20 March 2014

A report by the think-tank Policy Exchange has suggested lesson observations undertaken as part of an Ofsted inspection are not a valid or reliable way of assessing teacher performance and is recommending that Ofsted inspections should be focussed on data. The report also criticises the level of outsourcing by Ofsted to independent companies to undertake inspections and suggests schools should be inspected for one day every two years. In response Ofsted have highlighted a number of areas of agreement but state that given inspection of teaching is at the centre of their work, there is an expectation that lesson observations perform a key role.

Inspections must have a wider focus than data in the same way schools should be more than just exam factories. Inspections must continue to cover the full range of activities undertaken by a school which may not be reflected in data and that will include the enthusiasm and expertise of teachers and their relationship with students. That forms a key part of the education experience and will not be reflected in a spreadsheet.

related opinions

School uniform under media spotlight

The new academic year has started with controversy over school uniform. Last week, a government inquiry heard evidence that costs for parents are being exacerbated by compulsory branded uniform, including clothing with school logos, and operating contractual arrangements for the supply of these items with single retailers.

Education Secretary confirms DfE 'backing' for exclusions

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has confirmed that head teachers who take “the decision to either suspend or expel a pupil because they need to do it in order to be able to enforce proper and full discipline in their school, and making sure that they're protecting the whole interests of the school, will always have my backing".

Welcome news for sixth form colleges looking to academise

The Government has accepted calls from sixth form colleges to reopen the option to become academies.

RSE guidance issued - but do teachers feel ready?

In our previous blog we updated you on the new requirements to teach relationships, health and sex education (elements of which are phase specific) which will become mandatory in September 2020.

View all blogs

Richard Freeth

Partner

mailing list sign up

Select which mailings you would like to receive from us.

Sign up