What heads want – lesson observation

It’s easy to crumble under the scrutiny of a lesson observation, but a good observer will be rooting for you all the way...

“It’s about creating emotional security. Are children happy to learn in the classroom environment?”

- ANDROULLA NICOU, Head of School at Bowes Primary, Enfield

For me, the success of a lesson observation depends on the strength of the partnership between the observer and the observee. I’ve had absolutely outstanding teachers who have crumbled during observations, so to go in and demoralise someone during their first observation just isn’t right. It’s better for NQTs to be observed towards the end of a term – this way they’ll have had time to build a rapport with their mentor and establish a relationship with their class. If you run an observation in the first couple of weeks, it’s unlikely the teacher will do well, and we want them to know it’s about showing what you can do, not what you can’t do.

As an observer, you need to be careful you’re not setting someone up for a fall – make it clear to them what you are going to observe and that this is a process that will help them to improve. If no improvements have been made after three years there are other issues to discuss, but observation is about getting better.

When observing an NQT I want to see what their relationship is like with the children. It’s about creating emotional security – are they happy to learn in the classroom environment? Showing children that you care about them is the best starting point.

Not all children learn in the same way, so I am looking for a teacher to use a number of different strategies during a lesson. What I don’t want to see is someone standing there delivering while the children are getting bored and falling asleep. I like a bit of stopping, talking, doing; stopping, talking, doing. I don’t want silent classrooms – I want children to have times when they can talk to each other.

A really good teacher will make sure every child can access the learning. The worst thing is you can do is demand an answer from a pupil straightaway. They sometimes need a minute to think.

At the end of an observation, teachers always say, “I didn’t do very well, did I?” To which I reply, “Actually, no. There were lots of very good points.” Having discussed the positives, I’ll then ask if they think there’s an area for improvement. Most of the time they’ll already know what this is, and so we can start working on solutions. The only time when it’s really challenging is when the person doesn’t acknowledge they did anything wrong.

“I always do dual observations. If you go in solo, you bring your own baggage with you”

- TOM CANNING, Headteacher at Tollgate Primary, Newham

I think it’s only fair that you agree with the teacher first what the focus is going to be, so he or she is comfortable with why you are there. I am not there to catch them out, I’m there to see them at their best. I’m there to celebrate their capabilities as a teacher.

I always do dual observations. If you go in solo, you bring your own baggage with you. We all have a particular way of doing things, but as a headteacher you have to be completely objective. If you’re doing a dual observation, at the end of the lesson you can talk to that colleague and reach a consensus. That’s very helpful as you’re less likely to bring your own agenda to the table. The next step is to include the teacher being observed into that dialogue.

It would be soul destroying to go in and tell a teacher 1001 things that you didn’t like. You have to limit your judgements. There are two big things I look at: one is pedagogical understanding – have they really understood how children learn? The other is lesson structure – how did the lesson open, what interactive strategies were used, how much time was set aside for independent activities, did the plenary mop up any misconceptions?

AfL should be intrinsic to the lesson, teachers should be questioning all the time. Pace is also vital and is often the demon of the NQT who tries to control the class by talking at them.

There are tricks of the trade you can teach. For instance, I can teach someone how to deliver a good or outstanding lesson if they follow a structure. But you can’t teach someone subject knowledge; they need to do their own background research so they’re totally secure in what they’re teaching. If you’re teaching science – the sun, the Earth, the moon – don’t give children wrong scientific information because you’re lesson is going to fail.