ABSTRACT
Senior and middle leaders have always looked at books during lesson observations, but the changes in Ofsted's guidance have made 'book looks' or 'work scrutiny' much more important. In most schools, middle leaders use a combination of 'book looks', a brief glance at books during a lesson observation, and 'book scrutiny sessions', more formal occasions when the books of a whole class or year group are collected in and considered in detail. Looking at books at in class enables the observer to see the work in context and to talk to individuals about their work. It also ensures that books that are less than perfect have not been 'accidentally' left out of the sample brought along to one of the book scrutiny sessions. Books also reveal a great deal about the progress of individuals and groups of pupils. Middle leaders should also be aware that the quality of work seen in books says a lot about their own leadership skill.
