To support colleagues the current OFSTED observation characteristics are listed below. These will help you understand what inspectors will be looking for when judging lessons.
Guidance on where to pitch judgments about the overall quality of a lesson
The overall judgment will be a ‘best fit’ of the grade descriptions in the box, except in the case of an unsatisfactory lesson where particular conditions mean that the lesson cannot be satisfactory.
The grade descriptors are as follows:
| Outstanding (1) |
- Much of the teaching in all key stages and most subjects is outstanding and never less than consistently good. As a result, almost all pupils currently on roll in the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, are making rapid and sustained progress
- All teachers have consistently high expectations of all pupils. They plan and teach lessons that enable pupils to learn exceptionally well across the curriculum
- Teachers systematically and effectively check pupils’ understanding throughout lessons, anticipating where they may need to intervene and doing so with notable impact on the quality of learning
- The teaching of reading, writing, communication and mathematics is highly effective and cohesively planned and implemented across the curriculum
- Teachers and other adults generate high levels of engagement and commitment to learning across the whole school
- Consistently high quality marking and constructive feedback from teachers ensure that pupils make rapid gains
- Teachers use well-judged and often inspirational teaching strategies, including setting appropriate homework that, together with sharply focused and timely support and intervention, match individual needs accurately. Consequently, pupils learn exceptionally well across the curriculum
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| Good (2) |
- Teaching in most subjects, including English and mathematics, is usually good, with examples of some outstanding teaching. As a result, most pupils and groups of pupils currently on roll in the school, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, make good progress and achieve well over time
- Teachers have high expectations. They plan and teach lessons that deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding and enable them to develop a range of skills across the curriculum
- Teachers listen to, carefully observe and skilfully question pupils during lessons in order to reshape tasks and explanations to improve learning
- Reading, writing, communication and mathematics are taught effectively
- Teachers and other adults create a positive climate for learning in their lessons and pupils are interested and engaged
- Teachers assess pupils’ learning and progress regularly and accurately. They ensure that pupils know how well they have done and what they need to do to improve
- Effective teaching strategies, including setting appropriate homework and appropriately targeted support and intervention are matched well to most pupils’ individual needs, including those most and least able, so that pupils learn well in lessons
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| Requires Improvement
(3) |
Teaching requires improvement as it is not good. |
| Inadequate
(4) |
Teaching is likely to be inadequate where any of the following apply:
- As a result of weak teaching over time, pupils or particular groups of pupils including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, are making inadequate progress
- Pupils cannot: communicate, read, write, or apply mathematics as well as they should
- Teachers do not have sufficiently high expectations and teaching over time fails to engage or interest particular groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs
- Learning activities are not sufficiently well matched to the needs of pupils
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