School

I have had 2 interesting visits to school, yesterday and today.

Yesterday I went for my normal activities - and found myself filing and printing out lists of spelling words and laminating them. Very ordinary you would think but not a bit. I arrived at 1.0pm and found everyone rushing around tidying, vacuming the carpet etc etc. Once the children were in after their lunch-time play, there was an uncanny quiet. You may have guessed what was afoot? The OFSTED lady was expected any moment. I was wearing a Visitor badge and had signed the Visitors Book. I had been rung up beforehand to get my Police clearance number, as the Education Authority hang onto the papers, instead of passing them on to the school.
Once she arrived it was a bit of an anticlimax because after a quick tour of the school, she sat in the staff room grilling the Head, before she departed for her hotel.

Today, I was let in by the Head because the same lady was in the Library, by the main entrance door, talking to a group of children. I am certain that she will be pleased with what she found there. The reason for my return today was to help with the Christmas Concert, the first performance being at 1.30. The result of 'The Lady' being there was that they had had to have ordinary lessons all morning, instead of doing a run-through.

The Lady departed at 1.0 and everything returned to normal, except that the children were not as over-excited as usual, so perhaps her presence had been a bonus! I was given the job of helping a wee fellow with cerebral palsey to get into his costume. He is actually very good at coping, but his boots and buttons cause problems. Once they were all dressed and ready, they 'sat on their bottoms' and listened to a lovely story about a spider which came across a Christmas Tree in the house where he lived. He explored it all over, leaving his silk thread behind him. Later, Santa saw the tree and was surprised by the silk covering. He touched it with his finger and it suddenly sparkled all over - and that is where tinsel came from. Mrs B listened as quietly as they did and thought it was sweet!

Then we all trooped into the hall, where there was only just room for all the children because of lots of Mums, Dads, Grannies, baby siblings etc. The concert was pretty standard for a First School (Reception to Year 4) but was made special by some lovely harp accompaniment and the Year 2's upwards sang songs in French! The dialogue was mostly in English though! The little Year 1's won my prize - you could hear every word and they really kept to the rhythm as little Reindeer and Santas.

After, I helped the wee boy to change back into his ordinary clothes and then came home. At this very moment, they are in the middle of their second performance. I felt it was more sensible to stay at home - my cough is improving, but far from gone and it is freezing hard.

It was interesting to see a school responding to the OFSTED visit. I still think that they ought to just turn up, without warning, and work round whatever is going on. It would give a much better idea of what the school is like and cause much less stress to staff. Of course they get very little warning these days, but it was still a very different-feeling school yesterday afternoon and the staff were all feeling very stressed.