Ofsted stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. As an Ofsted inspector you would spend your days visiting a variety of institutions which offer education and learning services for children, and making sure they are doing their job effectively.
You would specialise in a particular area and then carry out inspections in that area, observing and making suggestions based on what you see.
You would also interview staff and students to gain a more balanced view, and ultimately come up with a report that assesses how well any given institution is doing compared to the national standards.
Furthermore, you act as a regulator fro a range of schools and care services, making sure that children are getting the best possible start in life, and ensuring that the places and people running them are suitable for children to learn in and from.
Salary & benefits
As a full time inspector working for Ofsted, your salary would range from between £40,000 to £70,000, depending on your ability, location and experience.
If you were only employed as a temporary inspector, you could expect a fee of around £1,600 per week employed.
Working hours
Your working hours would be based around a standard 9 to 5, but would vary based on the type of work you were doing at any given time. During inspections, your hours would obviously increase.
You’d probably be based at home, rather than in an office, and any places to inspect would be within a reasonable travelling distance, although you might be expected to stay a night away from home in exceptional cases.
Ofsted employ inspectors directly, known as Her Majesty’s Inspectors, but they also employ temporary additional inspectors on a pro-rata basis, and these additional inspectors are self employed.
Entry
To gain a role as an Ofsted inspector, you would need to acquire a good degree in education, childcare or social work, and have at least five years experience in a managing role – such as a head teacher or a head supervisor in a children’s care service.
Furthermore, you would need a good track record in improving provisions at your institution, demonstrating your ability to understand and change things for the betters, as well as full DBS clearance.
Training & progression
Once you get the job you would be given full training as part of your induction, including mock inspections, tests, and a full complement of seminars, lectures and meetings to give you the full ins and outs of the role.
You’d also be expected to attend regular training days as part of your work, in order to keep you up to date with the latest developments in the sector and to make sure that your work continued to be up to scratch.