Reading between the lines

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 22 October 2008 08:53:13

Last night Third Party produced the "Ofsted" feedback letters from her bag. I read her letter first and was immeadiately able to work out what grade the school had got, from my knowledge of what the words Outstanding, Good and Satisfactory mean. Yet I knew that the wording would have none of the loaded meaning to the children reading.

Reading through the 12 page report the parents got, together with the letter from the head gave me a clearer insight into the school my daughter is going to, but only because I understand the jargon and what indicators they are apparently looking for. I wondered exactly how meaningful these documents are to the majority of people who get them with no experience of what the phrases mean in this type of context. I also felt sympathy for the staff who you could tell reading it had been working really hard, but who are facing the problems which are common throughout education.

I am extremely pleased with the school and am glad that it got a grade which will take some of the pressure off.