Now that support staff in England are being expected to relieve the burden on teachers, the projected list of 25 tasks means we will be expected to undertake frontline higher-profile duties.
In my first experience of inspection, the lead inspector took time out to ask me questions about how we slotted into the overall whole-team approach.
At the second inspection my time was spent arranging rooms, tea and coffee.
We are told we are a significant part of the school and that schools can't do without us, but I don't think Ofsted is sending out the right messages. There is little mention of the support staff in the latest Framework for Inspecting Schools for September 2003, which states, 'In most cases inspectors will not give feedback to support staff. Their contributions to the school will form part of the overall judgement about the impact of their work.' There is a little more for teaching assistants, that inspectors 'should make every effort to ensure support staff do not feel undervalued during an inspection.'
This is a good time to review procedures. Many Ofsted inspectors were once teachers and I suspect their attitude to support staff subconsciously has a bearing on how they effect their inspection. Currently the 'lay inspector'
seems our best bet. What a positive message it would send out if our workload was recognised by the newly-created post of an inspector for support staff -perhaps someone who had worked as a support staff member.
If the DfES is talking inclusivity and at last recognising our contribution, why is Ofsted so far behind?
