Since the 1992 Education Act inaugurated national arrangements for inspection, schools have operated within an "inspection climate" which prevades every aspect of school life on a continual basis. The significance of OFSTED inspections cannot be overestimated. They are often the most challenging, searching, uncompromising and stressful events teacher have to experience. What effects do they have on teachers and their work, on their self and role, and on school policy and ethos? Drawing on six case studies from contrasting primary schools over a three-year period, this book reveals who OFSTED inspections were received within primary schools. It aims to meet the need for detailed, rigorous research into inspections and their effects on teachers.