Ofsted Inspection

Ofsted Inspection

What gives OFSTED the right, or indeed any Brits, to preach to minority groups about how they should live their lives. This is a cosmopolitan country, the Muslim community have the right to educate their children how they choose. What has being British got to do with your religious belief? In Britain there are Hindus Sikhs pagans Jewish Buddhists atheist Zoroastrians Rasta's and many more should they all change there religious beliefs because they are British? Studying the Qur'an will certainly help towards these children becoming fully integrated citizens of the UK.

Muslim schools should be inspected by Muslim members of the Ofsted. They understand the needs and demands of the Muslim children as well as their parents. Twenty leading educationalists and Muslim leaders have questioned Ofsted's impartiality in the Birmingham 'Trojan Horse' affair, education consultant Robin Richardson reflects on the factors behind its controversial recent inspections. What gives OFSTED the right, or indeed any Brits, to preach to minority groups about how they should live their lives. This is a cosmopolitan country, the Muslim community have the right to educate their children how they choose. What has being British got to do with your religious belief? In Britain there are Hindus Sikhs pagans Jewish Buddhists atheist Zoroastrians Rasta's and many more should they all change there religious beliefs because they are British? Studying the Qur'an will certainly help towards these children becoming fully integrated citizens of the UK. Like many Ofsted stories this is no news. There are lots of schools up and down the land without male teachers. Teaching is so female dominated you wonder why pupils are so poorly behaved. After all feminism blames men for everything and here are the results of female dominance...

Ofsted's improved inspection results reflect the fact that many more schools spend a great deal of time and money coaching staff in how to show inspectors what they are looking for so that they can tick the 'good' box on their clipboards. In schools that are really good the teachers wait for the happy inspectors to leave the car park then go back to their usual, more skilful and sophisticated methods for teaching and learning. In the less smart schools teachers often damage themselves and their students by trying to use the crude approaches driven by Ofsted all of the time. Ofsted is a game that wastes a huge amount of everyone's time. It has no genuine relationship to real standards or quality in education.

Ofsted had to abandon an inspection of a private primary school after pupils as young as nine were questioned about their attitudes to homosexuality. Parents were concerned after children told them inspectors had spoken privately to a group of nine and ten-year-olds at the Muslim school, asking them: ‘What does the word gay mean?’ and ‘Is it used in a bad way at school?’It is claimed the children were also asked about terrorism and whether it was discussed. Ofsted was forced to cut short its visit to Olive Tree Primary School in Luton after parents threatened to withdraw their children. Glulam Shah, 40, said his ten-year-old son came home complaining about being asked ‘scary and weird questions’. He said the inspector told his son not to be offended, adding: ‘It’s just a part of the law we have to ask you.’ Ofsted apologised for upsetting parents, but a spokesman said: ‘As part of any school inspection, inspectors will ask pupils about the effectiveness of the school’s actions to prevent and tackle discriminatory and derogatory language – including homophobic language’ This is outrageous….trying to open a conversation about homosexuality or indeed any kind of sexuality with a 9 year old…..without parental consent…and without the parents being present…heads must roll…that inspector must be sacked…. Aren't Ofsted aware that the attitude towards same sex relationships is not exactly wonderful in Catholic and Church of England schools? Some gay and lesbian teachers have found it so difficult working in Christian faith schools that they have either left or had breakdowns. If the OFSTED inspectors had put the same question to the parents, I wonder how they might have responded?

These Ofsted inspectors should resign for frightening young children with their sexual views. Ultimately, it is parents, not teachers, who are responsible for their children's moral teaching and guidance. And in this case in Luton, the parents exercised their parental responsibilities, fully. These questions you raise are of sexual and moral matters, that certainly should not be put to young children without the presence or consent of their parents, who have exercised their parental rights by threatening to remove their children from the school in Luton if Ofsted inspectors were allowed to continue their cross examination of young children about their views on homosexuality. OFSTED, failed teachers, failed pupils. Muslim schools should be inspected by Muslim members of the Ofsted who understand their needs and demands. Non-Muslim inspectors and teachers are not in a position to inspect and teach in Muslim schools. Ofsted should concentrate on the standard of education in core subjects like English, Math and Sciences. Ofsted reports on 4 areas for every school, Teaching and learning, Management, Pupil behaviour and Achievement. It is very difficult to work out which of these groups would cover the questioning highlighted in this article. Sounds like Ofsted making things up as they go along.

Who can blame these parents? What kind of person asks questions like those to a 9 year old? Ofsted is out of control. This country is being turned upside down by some ideological approach which has nothing to do with 'good parenting'. Children, note CHILDREN do not need these sorts of questions. By all means teach them about tolerance and respect for the law, but let children be children. A subject? Why homosexuality and not pornography then? What other attitudes should be checked off the list? How many attitudes should be checked? Or are some attitudes less 'acceptable' to the thought police than others? This is unadulterated political correctness gone nuts. The problem as it was expressed at the beginning of the article is not primarily with the question per se, but with the fact that the children were left alone with an adult they didn't know and then asked these questions. That is surely utterly inappropriate. Indeed, if I were an Ofsted inspector I would refuse to see a child without an accompanying adult because of the danger of molestation accusations. Ofsted's inquisitorial style and political correctness have both gone crazy. There are ways of finding out about children's attitudes by simply listening on the playground and listening and observing in class. Honestly, I think this country is going mad... It is no ones business what your attitude is to homosexuality, let alone expecting a nine year old to even have an opinion. What are they going to do if they reply that "its a bit weird" Ask them about their bikes or roller skates or favourite pets. They are children for God's sake!!
This is really a story about the very very variable quality of inspection teams. It's a well known fact in education, and it damages the integrity of Ofsted as an inspectorate. The people who run Ofsted should be held accountable. There are some good teams, and some very poor ones. Who quality controls them? Those people should be made accountable. The problem with Ofsted, I think, is its leader. One who's more interested in appearing in the media and playing "philosopher king" off his territory than ensuring his organisation is run properly. It seems ridiculous to me that he went straight from being a head teacher to running the inspectorate. Don't think he'd ever run an organisation at all.If someone officially pulled rank on me (similar to Ofsted inspectors); and demanded to know my sexual views, I would tell them to sod off, and go and get a life. Unfortunately, the children in question, did not have the years of experience to do this when confronted by Ofsted inspectors, who should be more concerned about the education in Luton, from personal experience of living there and looking after 3 small children, it is not so good. Many people who are followers of some religions are uneasy about homosexuality, indeed it is proscribed by them, and whatever the more liberal demand their belief is unlikely to change. What is the response going to be from Ofsted if a child states that practising homosexuality is wrong and against their religion's teaching, that of course being what they are taught at home ? It is not the school that is teaching this it is in all their religious teachings and books- e.g. the Bible.

Ofsted should be an advisory body - full of experts who are able to support and guide schools into a better service for our young people. Instead, figures are massaged, teachers bullied, children get a raw deal and all because there are 'standards' to be reached or else the brown stuff hits the fan. The standards seem to me to be all wrong; my children's first school had a motto 'learning with love and loving to learn'. From what I have seen in primary schools throughout my 20 years (I have just thrown in the towel) is a continual drive to get children to higher standards quicker than ever which tends to overlook the fact that they are children and need time to explore and assimilate their learning. Child-centred learning should be top of the agenda with Ofsted helping to achieve the goals. We get what we pay for and currently we have a system which berates rather than supports.

If 8 out of 10 schools are getting good or outstanding why is that not a headline? That would be positive & when the next Pisa comes out & shows no improvement the government would be made to look stupid because the 8 out of 10 schools are good or outstanding is bullshit just like much of what Ofsted say. Ofsted are a political tool used to show progress to the electorate & win votes. Their comments, inspections & judgements are utterly, utterly worthless. Wilshaw was just on radio 4 and he seemed to reject the proposal that parents have any responsibility for their children's attitude to learning and behaviour, preferring to point out that Head teachers 'have tremendous powers to set the culture'. This wilful blindness is what has hindered the progress of too many students in mainstream state schools for too long.

According to Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, inspectors of the so-called Trojan Horse schools in Birmingham have found that pupils were "vulnerable to extremism" and that some had been targeted by hard line Muslim governors in a 'planned and orchestrated' plot to radicalise pupils. The truth of the matter is that 7/7 bombers were never educated in a Muslim school. They are the product of the British schooling, which makes a man stupid, selfish and corrupt. It is the saying of Lord Burtend Russell. They were mis-educated and de-educated by state schools with non-Muslim teachers.

Sir Michael said there was a culture which "made children vulnerable to extremism". He said that schools were too inward looking and did not show sufficient tolerance to other faiths. The Ofsted chief warned that the role of governors needed to be re-examined. England's Chief Inspector of Schools is today accused of abandoning "objectivity and independence" in his handling of the Trojan Horse scandal and of "tarring" a generation of Muslim children with "the brush of extremism". In a coordinated attack city leaders, officials and businessmen in Birmingham said Sir Michael Wilshaw's "ill-advised and ill-informed" approach to "isolated" problems in the city had damaged community relations and led to a teacher recruitment crisis.

Wilshaw is certifiably insane, bonkers, mad. If a school is reported to him he comes down on it like a ton of bricks; if councils do not report schools to him in his ivory tower, they must have something to hide. No Islamic extremism was found in the last witch-hunt, but it does not stop Wilshaw saying that there was some. I do not think he should resign; I think he needs to be put down. Sir Michael’s warning follows evidence he gave to MPs this week that the so-called Trojan Horse schools in Birmingham were “vulnerable to extremism”.

Wilshaw's outbursts become more and more like the bleating of a sacrificial goat being dragged kicking and screaming to the altar....which, of course, is exactly what he is as his days at Ofsted are numbered ever since he called Gove a liar and was then found to be lying himself. This is laughable. Under Gove local councils have had powers taken away from them. Now Wilshaw suggests local councils play a bigger part?

Don`t forget these Trojan Horse schools had excellent ratings from OFSTED , so what will change? Where these schools are situated often have religious community support after school activities, also, school governors are likely to come from the religious and social leaders of these communities, how will you stop their influence?? Twenty leading educationalists and Muslim leaders have questioned Ofsted's impartiality in the Birmingham 'Trojan Horse' affair, education consultant Robin Richardson reflects on the factors behind its controversial recent inspections.

The Trojan Horse story in Birmingham is one in which carelessness, incompetence, coincidence, opportunism, self-interest and sheer wickedness all play significant parts. The dominant narrative began to be public when the security correspondent at the Sunday Times provided on 2 March 2014 some quotations from a document which he claimed had been written by a Muslim in Birmingham for sending to a Muslim in Bradford. It was obvious from the quotations to any reasonable person with time and inclination to think about it that the document was a forgery, a false flag operation. It was not, alas, obvious to journalists in the mainstream media, including to its shame the Guardian.

One of the most remarkable things about this whole through-the-looking-glass "debate" is that the media still treat OFSTED as anything other than a bad joke. OFSTED are corrupt, incompetent, self-serving and redundant parasites. There are plenty of cases which demonstrate that an OFSTED "judgement" has slightly less value than wet toilet paper, and Michael Wilshaw is an oafish buffoon so lacking in intelligence that he finds it absolutely impossible to imagine that there might be any other way of teaching than the one he used himself thirty years ago. Yet when he opens his bowels and shits out his latest attack on teachers, the media treat it as if it's the bloody word of God. Incredible. Whether Ofsted's reports are accurate is a perfect example of luck.

Look at the way Ofsted subcontracts the inspection work. Do we have any actual Ofsted employees working consistently together to improve schools. Many inspectors are retired teachers, lead inspectors have full-time posts in schools. The teams are ad hoc and only visit schools for two days before walking away without any responsibility for their judgements, which are increasingly meaningless to students, parents and teachers.Ofsted is a fraud. What's the difference between a plastic surgeon and an Ofsted Inspector? A plastic surgeon tucks up features. Actually, a good Ofsted report can often be down to luck. Take a look at the Secret Teacher's posting in the Guardian on Saturday 10 November 2012. The article is entitled: 'Dear Ofsted inspector, I am giving you notice to improve'. Can we be brave enough to do away with Ofsted altogether and instead bring about a revolution by investing in good teachers?

Ofsted don't know their axxe from their elbow, who on earth would work for such a miserable organisation? Always so negative, positives are only ever begrudgingly given. Miserable, miserable bastards. Quite honestly I'm bored to tears hearing about Ofsted and the latest pronouncement from Wilshaw on what is wrong with state education. Maybe just maybe people don't give a fuck anymore given all the bullshit politicians, 'experts' and prates like Wilshaw keep giving us. Out of curiosity, I read the Ofsted Inspector's Manual recently. One might expect a manual to contain instructions. This particular manual was 148 pages but, if you removed the waffle, it could have been summarised in a single page. Apart from a dozen repetitions of the need to reduce stress on those being inspected (without saying how that would be achieved) it contained no instruction whatever. It was certainly not a manual by any normal definition of the word. I did wonder if it was conceived and authored by early products of its own creation. The abolition of Ofsted is long overdue. An inspector speaks. OFSTED are an obstacle, a hindrance an irrelevance to a good education. It is their raison d'etre.

Western media and politicians have been trying their best to propagate against Muslim schools. Muslim schools are even called Osama bin Laden Academies by a Teaching Union. Only less than 5% of Muslim children attend Muslim schools while more than 95% are in state schools to be mis-educated and de-educated by non-Muslim monolingual teachers. The demand for state funded Muslim schools is in accordance with the law of the land. Muslim community is not asking for any favour. State schools get appalling Ofsted reports as well. There will be good and bad state schools and good and bad free schools. Muslim Girls school tops state school rankings in Blackburn. Yet, the only news we get is about a failing school in Derby.

The questioning about homosexuality is badly handled but probably comes from good intentions. The more worrying line of questioning is mentioned near the end of the article: 'The inspectors also asked the children if they had seen anything on the news about terrorism that they had discussed in class.' What concerns do they have about Muslim pupils' knowledge of terrorism? The article doesn't elaborate but if I was a parent at this school I'd be furious about this. It's actually quite chilling. There is absolutely no need to talk to children sex. Homophobic or not. I wouldn't be bloody happy about pseudopod talk to a child. It's not right you sick people. Whatever happened to pubescent sex education ???? WHY OH WHY CAN'T WE ALLOW CHILDREN THEIR INNOCENCE? If I was a nine year old boy, alone in a room with a strange man, and that man started asking me those sorts of questions, I would be worried that he was going to sexually abuse me. Leave them alone to grow up. The majority are not homophobic, racist or sexist in a playground. They are picking bullying for whatever reason. They are kids. The snap out of it during secondary school. Usually rebelling against whatever they were taught to hate. Leave them alone.
The problem is the Islamification of schools through the sheer weight of numbers of Muslims in them. Attitudes to gays and terrorism may be some kind of litmus test for such Islamification but Ofsted seem to have approached this in a clumsy and insensitive way. The elephant in the room is that if you have a school full of Muslims then it is always going to be an Islamist school. It's too late to avoid that now. Islam outlaws homosexuality. It's perfectly reasonable to ensure children forced into a religion and a religious school by their parents are educated and accepting, and generally set up to become good citizens. It's also reasonable to suspect a Muslim school, wouldn't encourage acceptance of homosexuality, or discourage playground negativity towards it.

The parent(s) of children being asked seemingly rather directly about "gays" might have reported this directly to the Police and demanded an investigation. There could have been accusations of 'grooming', surely there should have been two people in the room when such a question is put? Should the Ofsted inspector concerned have turned out to be homosexual, perhaps a question that some of the parents might have posed, then there could have been repercussions. Certainly it would have been used by the 'Tabloids'. If the matter is accurately reported then Ofsted are behaving in a really insensitive and probably incompetent manner. Religions may variously accommodate homosexuality but their adherents may certainly resist attacks on their beliefs and therefore their freedom. Hinduism outlaws homosexuality. So does Sikhism, Buddhism, Judaism and Christianity! I have been a Governor of a Muslim school and I would have been up in arms if I found out such questions were asked to small kids and no mention was made in any Governors training regarding school inspections that this kind of question were asked. Faith schools do not condone same sex relationships, this is true of Catholic and C-o-E schools - so does seem unfair to focus on an Islamic school. Ofsted needs to be put into special ensures as it is clearly not fit for the purpose. Let's hope this is the final nail. Get a grip OFSTED and stop trying to find pathetic ways to demonise the Muslim faith schools! Ofsted is behaving like the Stasi used to do in East Germany. There is no place for this kind of surveillance in a free society.
IA
http://www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk