Last week, I experienced my first Ofsted inspection.
An emergency meeting was called. The Headteacher broke the ominous news – with less than 24 hours to go, the race was on! Scenes of frenzied preparation and an air of nervousness took over the building where everyone was doing their level best to ensure the good practices of the school were shown in best light.
And with the tension, and the knowledge that we were facing inspection, comes the questions. Even the best, most organised teachers can find piles of work that needs to be done before the great day arrives. “Did I finish my marking? Are my wall displays up to scratch? Could my planning folder be a bit thicker?” The questions are never-ending.
The day dawned, and with it three inspectors arrived, three individuals who wielded the power to decide what would happen to our school. They recorded and inspected everything. No detail of how a school should be run was overlooked. No matter how many things were wonderful, there is always something which could be better, more organised, more conducive for a learning atmosphere.
And now, thank G-d, they have left. Leaving us all to breath a sigh of relief. And get back to our regular teaching practises. The tension has gone, and with it, the feverish efforts from the staff have returned to regular levels. Except, that I have had a startling insight into the days approaching us, a wake-up call to something which, although is common knowledge, has been brought into reality for me.
Next week, we will have our inspection.
On the first of Elul, the Shofar sounded the warning, summoning us to an emergency meeting to begin preparations for our inspection. The Inspector is on His way, and we have 30 days to ready ourselves. “Zochalin veroadin miyom boecha”, we will say in Selichos this Saturday night. We are trembling and fearful from the day of Your coming. The previous year hasn’t necessarily gone as well as hoped for; there have been tragedies, disasters, disappointments, both on a national and personal scale, and all of this was decided at our previous inspection almost 12 months ago. How will we fare this year?
And with the tension, and with the knowledge that we are facing inspection, comes the questions. How have we performed in the last 12 months? Even the best, most organised people can find piles of work that has to be done before the great day arrives. “Did I behave as I should have towards by family, my parents, my spouse, my children? How did I treat my employees? Did I behave honestly in business? What have my prayers looked like in the past 12 months? Did I set aside enough time for Torah study? Could I have perhaps given more charity? Have I developed my personality, refining my character traits, to the best of my ability?” The questions are never ending.
Like the Ofsted inspectors, but on a far more detailed scale, He will record and inspect everything. All our actions from the year, both positive and negative, are recalled by our Inspector, and used as evidence to make the crucial judgements. Our Inspector wields far more power than the Ofsted ones. He will make far more important decisions. As we say in the moving prayer Unesaneh Tokef, on Rosh Hashana G-d will decide “Who will live and who will die? Who will become impoverished and who will gain riches? Who will be lowered and who will be exalted?”
And once the Inspector leaves, once the Days of Awe are once again behind us…. Will we just carry on our pre-Inspection habits? Will we relax in the tension-free aftermath, and forget that these are standards which we should possess the whole year through? Will we learn from our mistakes and move forward, or will we regress back to our bad habits?
The Ofsted inspectors were just three individuals employed to do a job. They had no vested interest in whether our school would pass or fail. They had no connections to any of the school employees. Our Inspector, however, is our Father. He loves every single one of us. He is desperate for us to succeed. And He is there, waiting for our call, and ready to help us to pass our inspection successfully.
The Inspector is coming. Will you be ready?
Good Shabbos, Dovi