Ungraded lesson observations: The Why and the How
Over the last year myself and my colleague @dickseeboy have been reading around a lot of the posts and research on ungraded lesson observations. Last summer we piloted our own version of ungraded lesson observations and felt that the benefits of adopting an entirely different system far outweighed the possible obstacles to implementing it, and so over the last couple of months we have rolled out a new programme of lesson observations which we feel represents a far more healthy approach to observing lessons and supporting teacher development. We currently work in a school that Ofsted graded as 'Requires Improvement' and a number of my colleagues outside of my school have questioned our decision, quoting phrases like 'tight for good, loose for outstanding' and implied that we are taking a risk. Perhaps. But we are not changing our approach for the sake of Ofsted or in the hope of securing a given grading. The purpose of our mindset shift is purely staff focused. We