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Why dead inspectors are buried very deep

30th November 2001, 12:00am

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Why dead inspectors are buried very deep

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/why-dead-inspectors-are-buried-very-deep
HOW many inspectors does it take to change a light bulb?

If you don’t know the answer, your school probably hasn’t been inspected recently.

The answer can probably be found on the cleanest wall on the campus - the one that until the inspectors arrived on Monday morning served as the Official School Office for Standards in Education Joke Wall.

Every school has one, it seems. They may no longer have pictures of Chris Woodhead to throw darts at - that Mike Tomlinson, the new chief inspector, is far too nice.

But they remain an essential part of relieving the pressure in the run-up to what is still the most stressful part of school life.

Heard about the OFSTED inspector who fell into shark-infested waters but emerged unscathed? It was professional courtesy.

And why are dead OFSTED inspectors buried 60 feet under? Because deep down they’re really nice people.

Some courageous staffrooms even keep the walls up during inspection week. “It gave us a focal point during the week to let out our frustrations and worries, and helped to cheer us up,” says one teacher who prefers the cloak of anonymity.

So how many OFSTED inspectors does it take to change a light bulb?

None, obviously.

It should have been included in departmental development plans and submitted for approval before their arrival.

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