This book investigates the profound impact of the 1992 Education Act and the subsequent Ofsted inspection regime on the professional identity, emotional well-being, and daily practices of primary school teachers. Bob Jeffrey and Peter Woods utilize their extensive backgrounds in educational sociology to analyze how the 'inspection climate' reshapes school ethos and individual teacher performance. By examining the tension between institutional requirements and classroom reality, the authors argue that these high-stakes evaluations fundamentally alter the social construction of the teaching profession.

Experts in educational policy cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the sociological implications of standardized school inspections. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous, evidence-based critique of the Ofsted system.