In the world of teaching the one thing most teachers dread is lesson observations, these are sometimes carried out by senior members of teaching staff or by outside inspectors such as Ofsted.

The lesson is then graded from either of the following categories: Inadequate, Satisfactory, Good or Outstanding.

Now obviously most are aiming for the highest level, outstanding, and so the question is what makes an outstanding lesson?

Here are some key points that an inspector will be looking for:-

Clear planning and a good route through the lesson to the main objective.

High levels of student engagement.

Good progress made by students through the lesson that is clearly evidenced in their written work.

Teacher using a number of different teaching techniques to suit varying levels of ability throughout the classroom.

Visual aids being at a high standard and helping the students to understand the objectives of the lesson.

Clear behavioural expectations on display to the class that are presented in a creative format.