[Simon Ross]

I know a school that is currently rolling out a new style of lesson observations which is heavily pushing the grading of lessons according to OFSTED criteria in the hope that this will improve the quality of teaching and learning, with feedback sessions beginning with being told your grade and then discussing what happened in the lesson.

I would be really interested in any articles that any of you might know of, either advocating this approach or challenging it. At the moment I can see the benefits for SLT in terms of auditing practice but I can't really see how it is going to improve teachers' professional practice. However, this is only a 'gut feeling' and I would like to have read and reflected more before I start a debate!

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[Sarah D]

As ofsted inspections use the school SEF to base their judgements and evidence gathering on, and in the SEF you put the % of lessons that are whatever, it is useful for SLT to be confidant in these judgements. However, with the new ofsted framework the emphasis has shifted somewhat and lesson obs are now more heavily focused on the learning and the progress that pupils make in that lesson.

Done in the right supportive way lesson obs and this more formal feedback is a useful tool for improving the teaching and learning, as you would hope that SLT having seen a large variety of lessons and subjects are aware of the ways that progress and learning can be demonstrated and would be able to share good practice. Also the judgements in the new framework seem to have moved the goal posts somewhat, in some respects a good before is now a satisfactory. That has come as a shock to our school!

[JohnP]

We have just had our Ofsted inspection according to the new criteria for lesson observation. Bizarre to say the least!

Most lessons that previously would be 'good' are now passed as 'satisfactory' which is a bit of a downer for my colleagues. Also, Ofsted pay no heed nor take no account of the 'context' of a lesson (or the 20 min segment of a lesson the report is based upon) but focus solely on the criteria of the purpose of observation, as posted above.

For example, an individual taught a yr 8 lesson to a very low ability group with 16 of the 21 class on the RAP sheet they want to see.There is an array of behavioural problems accompanied by dyslexic students and others ranging from visual impairment to bullying and other issues!! A challenging group in anyone's language! A normal lesson demands that the teacher takes control of the group from the outset and guides the group through it with the intention of achieving the LO of the lesson. To Ofsted, this lesson was a failure. The students had to show 'independent learning' and the lesson required minimum teacher input and direction. It was never going to happen!

That, however, is the new criteria they want to see. Though I fundamentally disagree with the criteria as it is discriminatory against teachers who are inspected with challenging groups it is the criteria they will continue to use.The inspection team lack the finesse of the old HMI and I am convinced that a group who cannot access 'independent' learning will ultimately fall victim to a range of badly planned or led lessons where they will, inevitably, be left to get on with it, all under the guise of student-centred 'independent' learning.

[rharris]

We have just had a group of consultants in to 'prepare' us for our 2nd Ofsted in the space of 18 months. They observed us using the new inspection framework, and during the week I was observed twice! (union rep has been informed).

I can concur with other posts in as much as the focus of the observation was on the learning rather than the teaching. This wasn't a problem in one observation, as they the class are an enthusiastic bunch and will discuss issues without much encouragement, which is what the inspector wanted to see: student-centred and student-led teaching.

However, my smaller A2 group proved to be different proposition as they are very quiet, but hard working. The inspector thought that the lesson had too much input from myself; I thought I did a good job of directed questioning, differentiation, range of tasks etc etc. I'm sorry but with a class full of mutes, last thing on a Friday, there has to be more teacher input! I was graded 2 and 3 respectively. The feedback I received for the 'satisfactory' lesson was quite blunt: they didn't demonstrate that enough learning had taken place, because they weren't vocal about it. Pish and fibble in my opinion, but point taken for ther real thing next time around.

I teach A level in a SFC, but I fear for teachers who are going to observed whilst teaching more challenging groups, especially now that focus is on learning and not 'teaching and learning'.

One other thing that came out in this round of observations is that Every Child Matters, Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity themes are now limiting criteria. Score a 4 in these areas and your whole lesson is a 4. If the college scores a 4 in these areas, then the whole inspection grade is a 4,even if learning is scored highly. This is a bit rich; if OFSTED had done its job properly in the Baby P scandal, we wouldn't have these as limiting criteria in the first place.

[Natalie09]

In a school with NTI so Ofsted is being beaten round our heads at an hourly rate. Just want to get on with it and do that ting called teaching. Its no good doing 3 mini plenaries in a lesson - where does that help with retention into the memory. Just let us get on with it.

[Natalie09]

"However, my smaller A2 group proved to be different proposition as they are very quiet, but hard working. The inspector thought that the lesson had too much input from myself; I thought I did a good job of directed questioning, differentiation, range of tasks etc etc. I'm sorry but with a class full of mutes, last thing on a Friday, there has to be more teacher input! I was graded 2 and 3 respectively. The feedback I received for the 'satisfactory' lesson was quite blunt: they didn't demonstrate that enough learning had taken place, because they weren't vocal about it. Pish and fibble in my opinion, but point taken for ther real thing next time around."

oh and another thing if u actually spend any time talking to the pupils u are down graded as they should be able to organise themselves to do independent study.

I can see that happening - they should set their own targets and evaluate their own performance. (ARE U SERIOUS) I'd like them all to open a book and have a pen in their hand all at the same time!