Strong in diversity: primary school inspectors’ beliefs

Abstract

ABSTRACT In‐depth interviews with twelve OFSTED primary school inspectors reveal diverse beliefs about school and curriculum management and teachers’ management of professional relationships. These beliefs are contrasted with those of school practitioners, then categorized, for convenience, as being of three types. Inspectors may be (1) sympathetic to the practical dilemmas of teachers while being out of sympathy with a number of the demands of educational reformers; (2) they may be even‐handed about practitioner dilemmas and the needs of reform; (3) they may be sympathetic to the demands of reformers while being more dismissive of teachers’ positions. It is argued that it is school inspectors’ beliefs which are likely to determine their judgements during a school inspection. It is also suggested that whether a school is visited by inspectors belonging to one category or another is, to an important degree, a matter of chance.

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