ABSTRACT
Sadly, the fear factor runs rampant when it comes to the use of observations in education. They are often high-stakes, linked to performance management and even pay in some schools. The traditional Ofsted-style performative observations have become the norm, with teachers feeling that the grade describes them as a professional, rather than a fleeting judgement on 30 minutes of one lesson. It is precisely because of this fear that some teachers understandably seek to minimise the time senior leaders spend in their classrooms. If they become the only opportunity leaders have to visit, evaluate and all too often grade teachers’ work, they inevitably come with a disproportionate importance attached to them. But it doesn’t have to be like this.
