Voice comments on Ofsted’s plans for no-notice inspection for schools
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 12:41 PM
Voice: the union for education professionals has commented on Ofsted’s plans for no-notice inspection for schools.
General Secretary Philip Parkin said:
“Voice has welcomed shorter notice inspections because of the enormous increase in workload and time taken in often unnecessary preparation for inspections.
“However, we would not welcome the introduction of no-notice inspections because of the strain they would put on teachers and support staff.
“Ofsted inspections are stressful at the best of times, but it would be intolerable to work under the constant and relentless stress of anticipating an inspection at any moment.
“Such a Big Brother approach is not the way to get the best out of people. If that is the way inspections are to go, it shows a distrust of, and disrespect for, the teaching profession and signals that the inspection regime has become too overbearing and needs to be reviewed and restructured to make it much more supportive and advisory.
“We hope that this new approach does not reflect Sir Michael Wilshaw’s strange and disturbing comments in December that ‘if anyone says to you that “staff morale is at an all-time low” you will know you are doing something right’. Low staff morale is a bad thing and something that Ofsted should express concerns about rather than celebrate or encourage.
“Voice has long maintained that the whole inspection process should be far more supportive and advice-driven and far less judgemental.”
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