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Monday 7 February 2011

We are at OFCON 1!

I now know that Ofsted will be coming in to conduct their inspection on Wednesday and Thursday of this week ... and already the panic seems to be setting in.

Since getting a telephone call from a colleague to tell me the news, my email inbox has been telling me that I have a new message almost every couple on minutes. So far I have been sent:
  • A new lesson plan pro-forma
  • A PowerPoint presentation I must use in my tutorial lesson
  • An up-to-date list of the 'Gifted' students
  • Several notices cancelling or rearranging meetings that were supposed to be happening on Wednesday
  • A bulletin that informs me that the school building will be open for extended hours today, tomorrow, and Wednesday so that staff can spend time preparing their lessons
  • A notice telling me that there is a faculty meeting that I must attend so that I am fully briefed as to what to expect during the inspection
We are now at OFCON 1 (Ofsted readiness condition 1, or Ofsted Visit Imminent – Codeword: COCKED UP).

'If you can keep your head when all around you are losing theirs ...
... you are either mad or don't know how bad things really are
.'
With apologies to Rudyard Kipling

8 comments:

  1. My thoughts are with you...
    best wishes
    Alan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Tradgardmastare (Alan),

    Thanks for your thoughts. I only help that I am well enough to do my bit by Wednesday.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  3. You are ready Bob; press on to the "green fields beyond".

    Don

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  4. Hi Bob,

    I am quite sure that you can fight them off at the mealie bags - 'look to your front, mark your target when it comes....'

    Hopefully you will be feeling better and thus firing on more cylinders.

    All the best,

    DC

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  5. Hi Bob,

    What a Dog and Pony Show it will be. It reminds me of the "Surprise Inspections" the Army held when everybody knew when they were coming.

    Give 'em what they want to hear, send them on their way, and get back to reality.

    I'm still laughing about their founder's last name. Hang in there!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brigadier Dundas,

    Mentally I am ready ... it is just my health that is letting me down at present.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  7. David Crook,

    I am afraid that today I am like Private Hitch in 'Zulu'; confined to the hospital until I am feeling better.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  8. Martin,

    We have known that this inspection was coming, and should be fully prepared ... but I don't think that we are.

    Unfortunately, if we fail this inspection, the 'reality' will be worse than things are at the moment. If past experience is anything to go by, the senior management team will go ... and will be replaced by a new team who will 'come in to sort things out'. This usually means getting rid of loads of staff (at least, those who have not already left), and preparing for another inspection next year. They will pile extra work onto everyone, results will go down before they go up ... and the students suffer.

    If we pass the inspection, things will stay as they are for another two or three years ... by which time I will be properly retired (I hope!).

    I am praying for a pass, but I fear that we might fail.

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete

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