The Subject "Deep Dive": How to survive the day with Ofsted... (Instalment 3 of 3)

From 'The Journal of a School Leader' series...

No 1. Take a deep Breath

It may feel like it, but remember it’s not the end of the world. Yes, you need to take it seriously, but the worst that can happen is you get a ‘bad review’. Considering school accountability measures, how likely is it that you are way off the mark of what is expected? We all have things to work on. Take it as an opportunity to wax lyrical about your department's strengths and your proud moments as a team!

No 2. Get in some practice

You could do this as part of your preparation for future Ofsted inspections, and just like a job interview it’s a good idea to get in some practice. Ask your line manager, another Head of Department, or someone in your team to discuss your subject area with you.This will help you to think about your answers… and remember plenty of worthwhile things that you had forgotten about! Give someone a call the evening before Ofsted arrive, or come in early to discuss with a colleague, so it’s fresh in your mind.

No 3. Dress to impress

Being in a classroom all day is very active. I often rack up 17,000 steps a day according to my body tracker! If like me you've fallen into the 'smart casual' side of work attire (because completing 17,000 steps in a full suit is hell-on-earth!) then snap out of it for the two inspection days. So much is controlled by your mind, so if you want to feel you are being taken seriously, then look the part. Wearing a suit with blazer will not only make you look like an über professional, but feel like one too. Hopefully being confined to your subject area for half the day will stop you racking up quite so many steps! Note: if you are used to flat shoes, don't suddenly throw on 6" stilettos from the summer party!

No 4. Determine your own schedule

Most likely the Ofsted inspector will ask to determine the deep dive schedule with you before the start of the school day - mine certainly did. I’d assumed they had the day planned, but they wanted to give me the opportunity to show the subject area in its best light. Check your team’s timetables beforehand and work out a schedule that you feel will do you justice. I knew most of my team were teaching a strong year group during period 2 and this would be a good opportunity to show consistency of our ‘house style’.

No 5. Set the narrative

During Day 1, Ofsted inspectors are formulating theories about your school and subject area. It’s important that you set the narrative. Aim to start the deep dive with your in depth discussion about your team and subject area. Make your strengths and journey for improvement clear and provide evidence for these. Don’t let your inspector make initial judgements that you then have to try to break. You want to ‘set’ the initial judgements that chime with the truth of your department.

No 6. Glue yourself to the inspector

My senior leaders supported us with the offer of cover during the deep dive. Again, I checked my timetable and set lessons that could be independently completed. I wanted to ‘glue’ myself to the inspector for the entirety of the deep dive, so I could continue to set the narrative from the earlier discussion. The inspectors only know what you tell them and what they see, so you need to be able to explain anything they encounter whilst completing your deep dive. Apart from the student and staff panel (which inspectors ask HODs not to be present for), I was with my inspector for the entire process.

No 7. Don't blag it!

They are trained to find evidence. Don’t blag what you do if there isn’t any proof. 9 times out of 10 you will be caught with metaphorical egg on your face. Diplomatic honesty is your best policy. “Yes, we are still working on our KS3 home learning package, but this is what we have done so far and this is the intended end result…” or “We didn’t realise the full importance of our internal progress data until last year’s results ‘took a hit’ and so we are considering implementing X to achieve Y…”. Being on a journey to success is acceptable and expected. Telling porkies isn't.

No 8. Don't take it personally

Every inspector is different and will have their own individual character, which comes across during the deep dive process. They tend to give little to no feedback in terms of their verbal/ non-verbal communication. I guess they are trained to remain neutral during the deep dives - they are supposed to be fact finding missions, not opportunities to pass judgement. This is frustrating, to say the least. As a middle leader at the time of a deep dive, you also don't receive any direct feedback from Ofsted during their visit. Also frustrating. You have to rely on your senior leaders to feedback any pertinent information. The end report is generic and can be difficult to glean any useful information about your strengths and areas for development, too.

Final Thought

In the end, I'm glad I gained first hand experience of a deep dive. It showed me where my team are strong and where we need to tone up. It got me to think more deeply about the future of my subject area. It created stronger bonds within my team.

I wish you luck.

So there you have it, 7 great ways to survive a subject deep dive. For more useful ideas, check out our range of blogs.

If you have found SJ's posts or any of our posts helpful, please subscribe and give us here at Inspire My Teaching a big thumbs up!

We love feedback so please get in touch at contact@inspiremyteaching.com