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| Ofsted asks parents to rate schools on new website | Ofsted asks parents to rate schools on new website |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter | By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter |
| Parents are to be encouraged to rate their children's schools on the Ofsted website. | Parents are to be encouraged to rate their children's schools on the Ofsted website. |
| England's chief inspector Christine Gilbert said where concerns were raised extra inspections would follow. | England's chief inspector Christine Gilbert said where concerns were raised extra inspections would follow. |
| The Nasuwt teaching union said such a system would trivialise public accountability and the work of schools. | The Nasuwt teaching union said such a system would trivialise public accountability and the work of schools. |
| The plans come in a shake-up of school inspections in England, which will be streamlined and refocused on struggling schools. | The plans come in a shake-up of school inspections in England, which will be streamlined and refocused on struggling schools. |
| The aim is to bring them in line with the coalition government's education policy. A consultation document on the plans is being launched on Monday. | The aim is to bring them in line with the coalition government's education policy. A consultation document on the plans is being launched on Monday. |
| But ministers have already announced changes to the inspection regime with a greater focus on schools in difficulty so that improvements are speeded up. | But ministers have already announced changes to the inspection regime with a greater focus on schools in difficulty so that improvements are speeded up. |
| They have also ended routine inspections for outstanding schools, with inspections only resuming if a serious issue about a school is raised. | They have also ended routine inspections for outstanding schools, with inspections only resuming if a serious issue about a school is raised. |
| Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said: "From September we will be introducing a website where parents can tell us what they think about their school. | Ofsted chief inspector Christine Gilbert said: "From September we will be introducing a website where parents can tell us what they think about their school. |
| "If they're telling us things that really worry us, even if our assessments are fine, we will go in and inspect." | "If they're telling us things that really worry us, even if our assessments are fine, we will go in and inspect." |
| Parents at all schools would be able to use the website but it might be particularly useful for triggering inspections at outstanding schools. | Parents at all schools would be able to use the website but it might be particularly useful for triggering inspections at outstanding schools. |
| 'Impressionistic tool' | 'Impressionistic tool' |
| The Ofsted survey would be linked to individual school pages on the organisation's website, and would feature a set of 10 questions related to teaching quality, achievement, behaviour and school leadership, Ms Gilbert said. | The Ofsted survey would be linked to individual school pages on the organisation's website, and would feature a set of 10 questions related to teaching quality, achievement, behaviour and school leadership, Ms Gilbert said. |
| Parents would be able to respond anonymously or give their name, but they would only need an e-mail address to log their opinions. | Parents would be able to respond anonymously or give their name, but they would only need an e-mail address to log their opinions. |
| The e-mailed response would automatically identify which school the parent was contacting Ofsted about. | The e-mailed response would automatically identify which school the parent was contacting Ofsted about. |
| Ms Gilbert said planning was in the early stages but that it was unlikely submissions would be made public or that free text would be allowed. | Ms Gilbert said planning was in the early stages but that it was unlikely submissions would be made public or that free text would be allowed. |
| She said Ofsted had been working for some time on ways to feed parents' views on schools more easily into the inspection process. | She said Ofsted had been working for some time on ways to feed parents' views on schools more easily into the inspection process. |
| 'Internet gossip' | 'Internet gossip' |
| These could be valuable in highlighting issues before they became a problem, she said. | These could be valuable in highlighting issues before they became a problem, she said. |
| Recalling an unnamed school in special measures, she said: "It was three years before the problems in the school started to show. | Recalling an unnamed school in special measures, she said: "It was three years before the problems in the school started to show. |
| "If people were picking up the views of the parents than it would have been picked up earlier." | "If people were picking up the views of the parents than it would have been picked up earlier." |
| However, she also acknowledged that the results could easily be skewed either in favour of the school or against it by groups of parents. | However, she also acknowledged that the results could easily be skewed either in favour of the school or against it by groups of parents. |
| Ms Gilbert said: "It's really to give them a sense of what's happening in a school - this is not a scientific model, it's an impressionistic tool, it's just another piece of information." | Ms Gilbert said: "It's really to give them a sense of what's happening in a school - this is not a scientific model, it's an impressionistic tool, it's just another piece of information." |
| Chris Keates, general secretary of the Nasuwt teachers' union, said: "To hold schools to account on the basis of chatroom and internet gossip trivialises public accountability and the work of schools. | Chris Keates, general secretary of the Nasuwt teachers' union, said: "To hold schools to account on the basis of chatroom and internet gossip trivialises public accountability and the work of schools. |
| "Such a system would be open to abuse and manipulation and would therefore be an inappropriate and unreliable mechanism for triggering something as serious as inspection. | "Such a system would be open to abuse and manipulation and would therefore be an inappropriate and unreliable mechanism for triggering something as serious as inspection. |
| "The danger is that the inclusion of this suggestion in the consultation will detract from the serious debate needed about the fitness for purpose of the current inspection regime." | "The danger is that the inclusion of this suggestion in the consultation will detract from the serious debate needed about the fitness for purpose of the current inspection regime." |
| Christine Blower, head of the National Union of Teachers, said parents were generally very supportive of their children's schools. | Christine Blower, head of the National Union of Teachers, said parents were generally very supportive of their children's schools. |
| "What is important for parents is that they have a voice in schools and that their views are taken seriously. | "What is important for parents is that they have a voice in schools and that their views are taken seriously. |
| "It's not clear therefore why parents, who may have quite legitimate questions to which they seek answers, would choose this route. | "It's not clear therefore why parents, who may have quite legitimate questions to which they seek answers, would choose this route. |
| "Parents will not want to be involved in triggering early inspections. To offer such an opportunity is unnecessary." | "Parents will not want to be involved in triggering early inspections. To offer such an opportunity is unnecessary." |
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| It's amazing and depressing that organizations with influence can manage to think up reasons for _not_ giving ordinary people some additional chance to have their voices heard. | It's amazing and depressing that organizations with influence can manage to think up reasons for _not_ giving ordinary people some additional chance to have their voices heard. |
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| The average opinion of parents within a school is generally fairly accurate. However, you always get a couple of aggrieved parents (especially if they've got children with disciplinary problems!) who could be malicious, or perhaps even someone from rival schools? - so the idea of completely anonymous comment is dangerous.At the very least, if it could reduce inspections it might be a good idea. | The average opinion of parents within a school is generally fairly accurate. However, you always get a couple of aggrieved parents (especially if they've got children with disciplinary problems!) who could be malicious, or perhaps even someone from rival schools? - so the idea of completely anonymous comment is dangerous.At the very least, if it could reduce inspections it might be a good idea. |
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| Instead of comments about schools perhaps parents could be invited to comment about Ofsted. Ofsted inspections are one gigantic paper chase where the actual teaching is only a very tiny part of the overall grade. Ofsted should look at itself first instead of putting more pressure on teachers. Is Ofsted fit for purpose? Are Ofsted inspectors practising teachers -I think the answers are NO. | Instead of comments about schools perhaps parents could be invited to comment about Ofsted. Ofsted inspections are one gigantic paper chase where the actual teaching is only a very tiny part of the overall grade. Ofsted should look at itself first instead of putting more pressure on teachers. Is Ofsted fit for purpose? Are Ofsted inspectors practising teachers -I think the answers are NO. |
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| Such a system already exists within Independant Schools, via an ISI site, and works. Parents and pupil should be able to comment to an outside body that can review and assess the concerns.Teachers and heads will obviously condem this move because it means conceerns that they have been able to ignore will be seen by authoties. Education standards have bee falling for too long | Such a system already exists within Independant Schools, via an ISI site, and works. Parents and pupil should be able to comment to an outside body that can review and assess the concerns.Teachers and heads will obviously condem this move because it means conceerns that they have been able to ignore will be seen by authoties. Education standards have bee falling for too long |
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| Being able to feedback to the school via the web is a positive thing as it easy and stops people being complacent. OFSTED need not be involved on a regular basis but it would be good to for inspectors to see parents concerns and what the school do to remedy them. Comments boards are used widely in society. Why not schools? All that is needed is a calm approach to dealing with any issues. | Being able to feedback to the school via the web is a positive thing as it easy and stops people being complacent. OFSTED need not be involved on a regular basis but it would be good to for inspectors to see parents concerns and what the school do to remedy them. Comments boards are used widely in society. Why not schools? All that is needed is a calm approach to dealing with any issues. |
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| Comments 5 of 6 | Comments 5 of 6 |
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