Abstract
This paper provides a brief history of schools' inspection in its contemporary form, and explains how the chief responsibility for such inspections was passed in 1992 from HMI to OFSTED in England, and the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector in Wales. From his research into 37 teachers at all levels in six secondary schools located within five different LEAs and observations of two training courses for inspectors, the author concludes that inspections under the new system are more stressful than they need to be. With a view to reducing their negative effects, proposals for changes in the training of inspectors, in the procedures used by teams of inspectors and in the behaviour of some inspectors are put forward.
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