Did you know that only 60% of Her Majesty’s Inspectors employed by OFSTED in the past 3 years have actually been a headteacher?
I found this surprising and a bit disturbing when I read it in the TES.
The weight that is placed on OFSTED judgements these days is huge, and the burden of it is felt mainly by headteachers. There’s a real sense when you’re a head, that the ‘buck stops with you’, it’s ‘your name above the door’ etc. The tragic death of Ruth Perry earlier this year brought this issue into very clear focus.
So how can it be that 40% of the most senior inspectors have never actually been heads. The expression goes, ‘don’t judge a man unless you’ve walked a mile in his shoes’. Shouldn’t that hold true in education?
Reading this statistic reminded me of an Ofsted experience I had as a primary headteacher. The lead inspector had a background as a secondary art teacher. Out of all the Ofsted experiences I had in my 27 year career in teaching, that one was the worst. It was rife with over-generalisation, assumptions not based in evidence and a lack of professionalism. I had many other Ofsted experiences that were positive, I must say, where the teams were consummate professionals, rigorous in their collection of evidence and cautious about judgements. When I look back, the most positive moments were with inspectors who had significant headship and executive headship experience. You had a sense that they knew the territory and had a genuine desire to help you move forward as a school.
All this just underlines the variability of inspection teams and inspection judgements. It reminds us that it’s not the perfect system that it’s made out to be. With that level of variability, should those judgements be given the weight they are given?
In my work as a leadership coach supporting headteachers, I often hear about ‘Ofsted anxiety’. So many heads are ‘living in fear’ of the phone call. The worst case scenario that they worry about is truly brutal – the shame of being downgraded or having their school placed into a category of ‘inadequate’ or ‘requires improvement’. There’s a fear of personal failure and letting people down.
Based on my experience as both a head, and a coach, there are some strategies that can be helpful.
They might not take away the anxiety, but can help you to navigate it:
1. Try and stay focused on your own vision and values, rather than Ofsted
requirements. What does success look like for you and your school community? Put the focus on the change you want to happen and the things that are important to you and your community. Make that your starting point and the basis of your strategic plan. That will make your work as a leader feel more authentic and rewarding, and you’ll probably find that it ticks most of Ofsted’s boxes too!
2. Make sure you switch off from work when you’re relaxing at home. What helps you to switch off? What hinders you? How do you put in place boundaries to protect your time at home from work activities e.g. switching off work email notifications on your phone, encouraging your school community not to contact you after hours, unless it’s a genuine emergency etc.
3. Be kind to yourself. When you notice yourself feeling anxious about Ofsted,
accept the emotion, notice any physical sensations and let them be there for a moment, talking to yourself as you would to a close friend. If you find this hard, putting a hand to your heart when you recognise the anxiety is a good first step. Sometimes, you have to go through the motions before it becomes a genuine practice.
It can be difficult to work through these strategies on your own. It’s easier when you have someone to listen and empathise, and help you to get really clear on your vision and values and appreciate the authentic leader you are. If you’d like that kind of support, it’s what I do. You can book in for a complimentary consultation by following this link. Let’s talk!