What makes a good ofsted lesson

Purpose of Observation and the Observation Model Ofsted recognise that classrooms are complex environments and to try and capture everything that goes on is neither possible nor desirable. The indicators were tested in a range of schools 22 and colleges What the Trial Found Validity and Reliability Evidence suggested that valid assessments were able to be made using the observation model.

Data suggested that longer observations tended to lead to greater reliability. Multiple Observers All the evidence from international studies suggests that multiple can be two observers are more effective if the model is aimed at teacher development rather than a judgemental assessment model.

Number of Lessons Reliability is linked to the number of lessons seen. Subject Specific or Generic There is still some lack of agreement about whether indicators should be generic or subject specific.

The Most Useful Indicators Analysis of the trial results showed that there were a reduced number of indicators with a high level of reliability overall. The core eight are: Curriculum Domain Teachers use their subject expertise to provide effective learning opportunities.

The lesson content is appropriate to the age group and does not lower expectations. There is a logical sequence to the lesson. Teaching Domain Teachers demonstrate good communication skills. Teachers possess good questioning skills. Teachers give explicit, detailed and constructive feedback in class.

Behaviour Domain Teachers create supportive classrooms focused on learning. NB There is no weighting given to any element. Scoring Within the Trial A five-point scale was used by inspectors in the trial, firstly to avoid reference to current judgements and secondly to increase the variability possibilities in scoring.

Our Online Tool for Recording and Analysing Lesson Visits However you choose to carry out your Lesson Observations or Lesson Visits going forward, our online tool can help you record and analyse them with ease. Ofsted reminded us back in of the key role that a subject leader plays….

Contact us today to talk to one of our friendly team members about your school's requirements. Get In Touch. All Rights Reserved. Many successful teachers gave examples of using songs, analogies and multi-media displays to communicate with and engage pupils.

A large number of successful teachers were classified by the research as nonconformists, as they enjoyed trying out new ideas. This quality goes against the norm, as teachers are often faced with perceived timetabling restrictions and curriculum boundaries.

The role of school leadership was considered vital in the creation of an environment where innovation is valued and encouraged to allow excellent teachers to succeed. Good teachers enjoy the company of others, both teachers and pupils, and often have some extrovert personality traits. Interestingly enough, the selected teachers in the project were strong at looking at the bigger picture, rather than the minute details of planning or administration.

In Ofsted terms an outstanding lesson is one with many significant strengths and no areas for improvement. This should also be very closely linked with clear evidence of effective learning and progress for every learner in the class. It is often more important to focus on what the pupils are doing than what the teacher is doing.

What the pupils do and learn in a lesson is often a better indicator of the quality of a lesson. The key factors include:. Effective teachers who obtain an outstanding grade from inspectors add value to lessons by using special approaches and features. These are usually on top of the normal good teaching approaches and may include some of the following:. This shows how difficult it is to succinctly define the outstanding lesson, but many of these features are found in very effective teaching.

An interesting model on what contributes towards an outstanding lesson can be based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. An outstanding lesson can be described as a lesson where appropriate resources are used by a teacher who is enthusiastic about their subject in delivering a learning experience which takes into account the varying needs of each pupil and inspires them to take risks, make connections and learn while constantly checking that they are meeting high expectations and are becoming independent learners.

Relating this to Maslow's hierarchy would indicate that the base of the pyramid would include appropriate resources and subject knowledge and enthusiasm.

The next layer would include planning and differentiation to ensure personalized learning. The next would relate to communication and motivation and would emphasize learners evaluating their own progress.

The apex of the pyramid would include high aspiration and expectation with the overall aim of developing independent and reflective learning. This indicates the varying skills that the highly effective teacher needs to demonstrate to deliver outstanding lessons. The Ofsted framework for inspection expects inspectors to evaluate how well teaching promotes learning, progress and enjoyment for all pupils.

They are expected to look carefully at the range of teaching styles and activities and to what extent they sustain pupils' concentration, motivation and application. Ofsted state that judgements about the quality of teaching cannot be made in isolation. The quality of teaching is linked closely to the context, including behavior, assessment and, crucially, school leadership and management. There is an emphasis that when evaluating teaching, inspectors should focus on the impact on pupils' learning.

For outstanding teaching Ofsted expects pupils to understand in detail how to improve their work and that they are consistently supported in doing so. The role of the teacher should have a striking impact on the quality of learning of pupils. The draft proposals for the new Ofsted framework due to be implemented in January talk about strong leadership creating the climate in which effective teaching and pupil achievement flourish.

It also refers to the need for effective leaders knowing their school well and having high expectations and setting ambitious targets for raising standards. Leaders will be expected to monitor teaching and learning rigorously and track pupils' progress meticulously. There seems to be more emphasis on monitoring and tracking rather than teaching styles.

But what this means will be different for every teacher. What started out as an outstanding lesson can go off track at any point. There are some exceptions. Mathematical savants are truly amazing people and they help to put a lot into perspective. Some people see everything as numbers like Jedediah Buxton who was able to calculate the area of his village just by walking around it and was able to calculate numbers up to 39 figures. Thomas Fuller is another outstanding maths machine.

He was once asked how many seconds a man had lived who was 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours old, and he gave the correct answer of 2,,, in 90 seconds, even correcting for the 17 leap years included. Ofsted Deep Dive Preparation Framework. Then there is the high-functioning autistic savant Daniel Tammet who has a rare form of synaesthesia and sees each integers up to 10, as having their own unique shapes, colour, texture and feel.

He first became famous when he recited from memory Pi to 22, decimal places and can perform multiplications at breakneck speeds. And what about George and Charles Finn? They were a pair of savant twins who were hardwired at calendar counting being able to name any date for 40, years into the past or future. Mathematical savants tend to have an emotional attachment to numbers, they are on personal terms with them and will see them as friends.

I have had the privilege of teaching a maths savant, just once in my career, a 10 year old genius, and he was truly outstanding and wiped the floor with me. I realised then that I would never be an outstanding teacher. If you follow x, y and z, or use these teaching methods, then you stand a great chance of being outstanding…perhaps but what about the myriad of contextual factors that interact that can mess everything up for you.

The classroom is not a lab with test tubes but a complex learning environment where any number of incidents will mingle, muddle and mesh to make a mess. Learning is messy so expect your lessons to be as well. Every class is different, every teacher is different and so to offer a prescription or to champion a style of teaching as the key to outstanding is misguided and delusional.

Perceptive teachers know their own limits. Inspiring, we should be inspiring. Children want to be inspired and it is our job to engage them, challenge them, get the best out of them, help them make progress and transmit a love of maths. You might not be the best teacher, it might not be the best lesson ever but if what you have given children is an interest, a spark, an intellectual prod, a smile then that is a successful maths lesson.

Children can still make real progress, and engage in the learning process without you being an outstanding teacher or delivering and outstanding lesson. The key contributing factor is to be passionate in what you do. If a maths teacher has passion then that makes for a powerful lesson. Lots of maths lessons are actually very good but they lack the passionate state of being of a teacher in the zone.

If we can be passionate maths teachers and provide opportunities for children to play with maths then surely this is better than conking out trying to be outstanding. With subject knowledge and understanding comes confidence and with confidence comes hunger, thirst and an appetite for maths.