#180 Surviving and thriving an Ofsted inspection with Ofsted's Maths Subject Lead Steve Wren

The episode features a conversation with Ofsted's Maths Subject Lead, Steve Wren. We discuss everything from inspections, subject deep-dive, lesson observations, book scrutinies, COVID and more. For show notes, please visit: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ofsted Time-stamps: Education career, controversies, and accents. (13:13) Maths education, policy, and personal interests. (15:31) Maths education and refereeing football. (20:56) Football refereeing and teaching career insights. (23:27) Lesson planning and the importance of cutting losses. (26:31) Ofsted inspections and their practicalities. (29:12) School inspection process and expectations. (35:33) School inspection and grading. (39:09) School inspection process and leadership. (42:40) Ofsted inspections and deep dives in a secondary school. (49:15) Maths curriculum and lesson observations. (51:13) Teaching maths in a school. (55:22) Ofsted inspections and lesson quality. (1:00:18) Ofsted inspections and consistency in teaching practices. (1:04:45) Using mini whiteboards in the classroom. (1:07:45) Using books to support deep dives in education. (1:11:37) Effective lesson observations and deep dives in education. (1:15:14) Inspector training and subject expertise in education. (1:18:27) Keeping bias out of inspections and tailoring approaches to individual schools. (1:21:55) Effective department meetings in schools. (1:26:44) Maths education report and its findings. (1:29:32) Maths education challenges and solutions. (1:34:23) Teaching methods and exam preparation in schools. (1:39:01) Secondary school teaching strategies and retention. (1:43:47) Primary and secondary school math education. (1:48:12) Problem-solving in math education. (1:52:30) Effective problem-solving strategies in math education. (1:56:35) Maths education balance and practice. (2:00:12) Problem-solving in math education. (2:04:43) Using departmental meetings to support math problem-solving skills. (2:07:06) Curriculum design and problem-solving strategies. (2:11:02) Problem-solving strategies in math education. (2:16:07) Sharing high-quality educational resources and Ofsted's research review. (2:18:51) Maths education and the importance of balancing different perspectives. (2:23:56) Ofsted's stance on marking and feedback. (2:28:39) Effective math teaching methods and workload management. (2:32:53) Using centrally planned resources in maths lessons. (2:36:26) Maths education during COVID-19 pandemic. (2:40:29) Maths education, homework, and curriculum. (2:45:51) Ofsted inspections and curriculum development. (2:49:35) The future of math teaching and the importance of skilled teachers. (2:53:04) Educational blogs and podcasts for personal growth. (2:57:30)