ABSTRACT
This chapter has been rightly placed near the end of the book. As teachers we should not be doing anything solely to please Ofsted. It is important, as stated earlier, to keep our eyes on the ball not on the scoreboard; if we are doing things well and correctly, Ofsted will likely confi rm that. If not, then our smoke and mirrors are unlikely to fool them. If, as some people believe, the data is all they are interested in, then the outcome is largely determined before they arrive. As I write the future of Ofsted looks uncertain; it is likely that a system of peer review or shorter inspections will replace what is currently there. Nevertheless, at present a visit from the inspectors can be a very stressful experience, as can any observation of your teaching. The level of panic and hysteria that can take place in an institution prior to an Ofsted has to be experienced to be believed. Recently I heard of one classroom teacher who was still taking phone calls and texts at 2:00 a.m. on the morning of an Ofsted from her stressed, micromanaging headteacher. This chapter looks at how we can reduce some of the stress from what is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching.
