Today's discussion about the news
Comments
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There are nudge economic reasons for giving things like bus passes rather than passing them through state pension benefits.0
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Sure, but no reason to not make them taxable.rick_chasey said:There are nudge economic reasons for giving things like bus passes rather than passing them through state pension benefits.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
The story around the headteacher who committed suicide after a poor ofsted result I find quite strange.
I appreciate it has become a vehicle to express the teaching profession's problems with ofsted.
What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
With all due respect, problems at work as a contributing factor to a suicide is hardly novel, nor is it something that will go away.
If you're in a stressful job with a lot of responsibility, poor performance *does* affect others, and someone has to carry the can.
I don't really see why the link between the two has captured the public imagination enough to make the news.0 -
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
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No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.0 -
rick_chasey said:
No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.
This headteacher was doing very well until this inspection, it seems.
Without knowing the details, I'd conjecture that a less traumatic approach by Ofsted and the inspector would have been to flag up the concerns over safguarding (if they were indeed as serious as alleged) and to give a week to come up with an action plan to deal with them, expecially given the previous 'outstanding' assessment. (I've not seen the safeguarding concerns detailed, I'll admit.)
On the human front, an awareness that a shock assessment could cause distress for someone who is likely to have taken pride in her work, might have given the inspector in question reason to handle the situation more sensitively, and to suggest early on that professional support might be required.
OTOH, the inspector's attitude might be more easily explained by them being a bit of an insensitive @rsehole with an agenda to academise the school under the pretext of safeguarding concerns, and with no sensitivity to a mere headteacher.0 -
Ah, the ‘my friend’ post.rick_chasey said:
No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.
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Yeah look 1/3rd of people in my company lost their jobs this year.
That’s a lot of livelihoods. Work is stressful. For everyone.
Not belittling the stress, more curious why the press feel it necessary to pick this one out.0 -
Report is here. Generally positive, but mentions that leadership don't really understand safeguarding.briantrumpet said:rick_chasey said:
No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.
This headteacher was doing very well until this inspection, it seems.
Without knowing the details, I'd conjecture that a less traumatic approach by Ofsted and the inspector would have been to flag up the concerns over safguarding (if they were indeed as serious as alleged) and to give a week to come up with an action plan to deal with them, expecially given the previous 'outstanding' assessment. (I've not seen the safeguarding concerns detailed, I'll admit.)
On the human front, an awareness that a shock assessment could cause distress for someone who is likely to have taken pride in her work, might have given the inspector in question reason to handle the situation more sensitively, and to suggest early on that professional support might be required.
OTOH, the inspector's attitude might be more easily explained by them being a bit of an insensitive @rsehole with an agenda to academise the school under the pretext of safeguarding concerns, and with no sensitivity to a mere headteacher.
https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/502117290 -
TheBigBean said:
Report is here. Generally positive, but mentions that leadership don't really understand safeguarding.briantrumpet said:rick_chasey said:
No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.
This headteacher was doing very well until this inspection, it seems.
Without knowing the details, I'd conjecture that a less traumatic approach by Ofsted and the inspector would have been to flag up the concerns over safguarding (if they were indeed as serious as alleged) and to give a week to come up with an action plan to deal with them, expecially given the previous 'outstanding' assessment. (I've not seen the safeguarding concerns detailed, I'll admit.)
On the human front, an awareness that a shock assessment could cause distress for someone who is likely to have taken pride in her work, might have given the inspector in question reason to handle the situation more sensitively, and to suggest early on that professional support might be required.
OTOH, the inspector's attitude might be more easily explained by them being a bit of an insensitive @rsehole with an agenda to academise the school under the pretext of safeguarding concerns, and with no sensitivity to a mere headteacher.
https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50211729
Thanks. Will read.
But given it would need sorting out in short order whoever's, I'd have thought the most pragmatic way would be to detail specifically the shortcomings and to give a notice to put in place a remedial strategy in the shortest possible timescale, while withholding a rating.
I must admit I'm a bit surprised that a LEA school was apparently so lacking in that aspect.0 -
They reinspected it 7 months later and it was all sorted. I think failing to publish the comprehensive failure over presumably a number of years would be a bit of a cover-up.briantrumpet said:TheBigBean said:
Report is here. Generally positive, but mentions that leadership don't really understand safeguarding.briantrumpet said:rick_chasey said:
No idea.thegreatdivide said:
How did you find being a head teacher Rick? Was it stressful?rick_chasey said:What I'm struggling with is the idea that somehow because it's ofted and it's a school it is somehow more stressful or that ofsted must consider the mental health of headteachers when giving what ought to be objective assessments of the school.
My friend does ok.
This headteacher was doing very well until this inspection, it seems.
Without knowing the details, I'd conjecture that a less traumatic approach by Ofsted and the inspector would have been to flag up the concerns over safguarding (if they were indeed as serious as alleged) and to give a week to come up with an action plan to deal with them, expecially given the previous 'outstanding' assessment. (I've not seen the safeguarding concerns detailed, I'll admit.)
On the human front, an awareness that a shock assessment could cause distress for someone who is likely to have taken pride in her work, might have given the inspector in question reason to handle the situation more sensitively, and to suggest early on that professional support might be required.
OTOH, the inspector's attitude might be more easily explained by them being a bit of an insensitive @rsehole with an agenda to academise the school under the pretext of safeguarding concerns, and with no sensitivity to a mere headteacher.
https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50211729
Thanks. Will read.
But given it would need sorting out in short order whoever's, I'd have thought the most pragmatic way would be to detail specifically the shortcomings and to give a notice to put in place a remedial strategy in the shortest possible timescale, while withholding a rating.
I must admit I'm a bit surprised that a LEA school was apparently so lacking in that aspect.
That said, taking four months to publish doesn't seem great.
I know nothing about teaching, but I think the equivalent in financing would be to not bother with KYC. That would result in instant dismissal in most companies and certainly not a period of correction.0 -
Sounds worse than inadequate.ddraver said:The issue is with reducing a school down to a single word judgement.
"Good but with some serious updates required to safeguarding", would not have been outside most peoples capacity for understanding0 -
Have read. Sounds like they needed training and bringing up to date on some aspects of safeguarding (particularly recording incidents): something there for the LEA to dwell on, as well as the governors, but I'd guess that they could have agreed a remedial strategy within a fortnight (stuff like adequate oversight at break times is an easy fix), and the paper trail and staff checking within a month (and probably much less).
From the motivational POV, I think it would be far more productive to say that educationally it would receive a 'Good' rating, but that granting that would be dependent on improving safeguarding in the aspects mentioned within x weeks, and that a further review of progress in that respect would be made 12 months after that.0 -
I think I read somewhere they hired someone and did no checks because they came from abroad and didn't know what to do.briantrumpet said:Have read. Sounds like they needed training and bringing up to date on some aspects of safeguarding (particularly recording incidents): something there for the LEA to dwell on, as well as the governors, but I'd guess that they could have agreed a remedial strategy within a fortnight (stuff like adequate oversight at break times is an easy fix), and the paper trail and staff checking within a month (and probably much less).
From the motivational POV, I think it would be far more productive to say that educationally it would receive a 'Good' rating, but that granting that would be dependent on improving safeguarding in the aspects mentioned within x weeks, and that a further review of progress in that respect would be made 12 months after that.0 -
Meanwhile in Gaza another day and another hospital under attack.0
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TheBigBean said:
I think I read somewhere they hired someone and did no checks because they came from abroad and didn't know what to do.briantrumpet said:Have read. Sounds like they needed training and bringing up to date on some aspects of safeguarding (particularly recording incidents): something there for the LEA to dwell on, as well as the governors, but I'd guess that they could have agreed a remedial strategy within a fortnight (stuff like adequate oversight at break times is an easy fix), and the paper trail and staff checking within a month (and probably much less).
From the motivational POV, I think it would be far more productive to say that educationally it would receive a 'Good' rating, but that granting that would be dependent on improving safeguarding in the aspects mentioned within x weeks, and that a further review of progress in that respect would be made 12 months after that.
Yeah, not a good strategy.0 -
If it is true, I think it is quite generous allowing her the opportunity to fix it.briantrumpet said:TheBigBean said:
I think I read somewhere they hired someone and did no checks because they came from abroad and didn't know what to do.briantrumpet said:Have read. Sounds like they needed training and bringing up to date on some aspects of safeguarding (particularly recording incidents): something there for the LEA to dwell on, as well as the governors, but I'd guess that they could have agreed a remedial strategy within a fortnight (stuff like adequate oversight at break times is an easy fix), and the paper trail and staff checking within a month (and probably much less).
From the motivational POV, I think it would be far more productive to say that educationally it would receive a 'Good' rating, but that granting that would be dependent on improving safeguarding in the aspects mentioned within x weeks, and that a further review of progress in that respect would be made 12 months after that.
Yeah, not a good strategy.0 -
TheBigBean said:
If it is true, I think it is quite generous allowing her the opportunity to fix it.briantrumpet said:TheBigBean said:
I think I read somewhere they hired someone and did no checks because they came from abroad and didn't know what to do.briantrumpet said:Have read. Sounds like they needed training and bringing up to date on some aspects of safeguarding (particularly recording incidents): something there for the LEA to dwell on, as well as the governors, but I'd guess that they could have agreed a remedial strategy within a fortnight (stuff like adequate oversight at break times is an easy fix), and the paper trail and staff checking within a month (and probably much less).
From the motivational POV, I think it would be far more productive to say that educationally it would receive a 'Good' rating, but that granting that would be dependent on improving safeguarding in the aspects mentioned within x weeks, and that a further review of progress in that respect would be made 12 months after that.
Yeah, not a good strategy.
I'd not argue with that, TBH, if so. At which point the questions turn to how to handle the discussion, and who else failed (aka how to prevent a repeat) in that specific instance. Despite my being DBSed up to the eyeballs and receiving thorough regular training, any schools we do regular partnership working with always seem to be right on it, from the head to the secretary.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/12/07/ruth-perry-ofsted-inspection-inquest-death/The lead inspector, Alan Derry, had told the chairman of school governors in one meeting during the inspection that the school had a “robust” safeguarding culture, the inquest heard.
However, he later said he had changed his judgment after raising concerns relating to recordkeeping, which he believed could be fixed quickly. The school was given a negative safeguarding rating, which meant it would automatically be downgraded to “inadequate”, even though it was rated “good” in every other area.
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Does anyone understand the news agenda though and what drives it? It has always been unfathomable on some stories. I don't understand the seemingly endless coverage of the court battles between parents of sick children and the medical profession for example.0
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Schools get upgraded and downgraded all the time.
People get overwhelmed by work all the time.
I don't get it.0 -
I don't get why a few boats get that amount of attention.
Let it go. 😉The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
If someone could explain it I'd be more inclined to buy it.
I can explain the boat chat quite easily if you are genuinely confused.
As I said, I suspect it's a vehicle for teacher grievance at how they are treated, and I suspect they have some public support and this is a lightning rod.
Problem for teachers is as much as there is a labour shortage as there is for anything public sector run, the performance is pretty good.
I object to the idea that Ofsted who are just delivering their verdict are remotely to blame. Hell, if people are digging into the delivery of the message, I can show them 100s of workplaces where that would be considered very gentle.
There are a lot of headteachers around the UK and it is inevitable that some will have more mental health problems than others.0 -
It mostly depends on your sources. That story is not high up on my radar.
If fact, I've read more about it in this thread. Why does it keep such prominence?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
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...on your sources.rick_chasey said:
was doing the 24hr news rounds yesterday.pblakeney said:It mostly depends on your sources. That story is not high up on my radar.
If fact, I've read more about it in this thread. Why does it keep such prominence?
As I said, way off headline news that I've seen and I don't watch TV news. Life is better.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Was top of the bbc news site most of the day.pblakeney said:
...on your sources.rick_chasey said:
was doing the 24hr news rounds yesterday.pblakeney said:It mostly depends on your sources. That story is not high up on my radar.
If fact, I've read more about it in this thread. Why does it keep such prominence?
As I said, way off headline news that I've seen and I don't watch TV news. Life is better.- Genesis Croix de Fer
- Dolan Tuono0
