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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Anonymous

‘Will I be able to avoid swearing at the inspector?’: a headteacher on an Ofsted inspection

Ofsted Anxiety
A man dressed in a shirt and tie with an Ofsted lanyard appears to be compiling a report using a pen and clipboard.
‘After about 90 minutes the lead inspector says: “I have to warn you that tomorrow the outcome of your inspection could be less than good.”’ Photograph: Russell Hart/Alamy

The phone rings at 9.50am on a Monday. My heart rate is immediately raised. Yes, it’s Ofsted for a graded inspection starting the following day.

I have been through many inspections before but this one feels different. The death of Ruth Perry and all the noise in the system about bullying inspectors and cliff-edge judgments have changed the narrative.

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