ABSTRACT
In the early stages of a career, teachers tend to focus on personal concerns. How well am I doing? What do more experienced people think about my progress? How am I getting on with my class or classes? Is everyone in the class learning in the way I intend? Will I be able to find the time to prepare for next week? For a newcomer to the teaching profession and to working in schools, much of the environment is unfamiliar. This can affect the physical perceptions of the school. The school playground, for example, often looks bigger on first sight than when it becomes familiar. Anyone with limited experience of schools would have difficulty making judgements about the school from his/her initial observations. Experienced teachers and school inspectors, however, often say that they can judge a school after just a few minutes in the reception area or a walk through the corridors. Such claims may need to be taken with equanimity. Schools can have bad days, and, if a problem arises, the reception area is not the best place upon which to make short-cut judgements. There is, however, some truth in the idea that experience of visiting many schools enables people to establish criteria to differentiate the more from the less successful schools. Consider these two scenarios:
