BBC Education Correspondent Mike Baker: "Ofsted has been controversial from the start"

The findings - from a poll conducted independently by the Mori organisation - come a day after the National Union of Teachers published a survey claiming that inspections damaged teachers' morale and did little to improve schools.

The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) survey was responded to by 1,260 English primary schools - 62% of those asked to take part. It suggests that a large majority of teachers were satisfied with their experiences of an inspection.

This is in marked disagreement with the findings of the teachers' union survey which quoted a headteacher as saying that the Ofsted inspection was "the most intimidating experience of my life - the whole effect upon staff and pupils was negative".

Even the Ofsted survey says that increased pressure on staff was cited by most - 89% - as the most significant detrimental effect of inspections, with 76% saying staff worked excessive hours in preparation for the inspectors' visit.

Chris Woodhead: "Ofsted has done everything possible to minimise stress"

The Chief Inspector of Schools in England, Chris Woodhead, lays the blame for this on headteachers who "erroneously" ask their staff to undertake what he says is unnecessary paperwork in advance of an inspection.

Mr Woodhead, interviewed on the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, said he intended to reduce the notice period for inspections in an effort to counter this. He said he had asked all inspectors to adopt as relaxed and informal approach as possible.

"Inspection is never going to be popular with headteachers - we're never going to get headteachers ... standing on rooftops saying they like being inspected - so it doesn't surprise me that a number are questioning the value," he said.

"But the important thing is that four in five are satisfied with the conduct of inspection, two in five very satisfied."

Human nature

A primary school headteacher who asked not to be named - because he is preparing for an Ofsted inspection - told BBC News Online: "I think they have worked at limiting the amount of paperwork but when you are notified so far in advance it's inevitable that people are going to prepare for it.

"Every school is not worth its salt if it doesn't want to put on a good show. People, if they are not doing something, feel they ought to be because that's how you prepare for things."

He said the problem phrase in the Ofsted advice was that the school should have to hand "any other documents" which it feels are relevant.

The only real way to get a snapshot of the school's normal activity would be to get a phone call on a Friday afternoon saying: 'Right, you're being inspected next week', he said.

But, more realistically, there could be a couple of months' notice followed swiftly by a first contact from the registered inspector who would reassure the staff and identify precisely that he or she wanted to see only this and that paperwork - and nothing more.

Liz Paver: "You don't fatten a pig by weighing it"

The headteacher of Intake Primary School in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Liz Paver, said the inspection her school had undergone last summer was the most stressful experience she had had in 30 years of teaching.

Her biggest complaint was the 'failure finding' nature of the process. She doubted whether Ofsted provided value for money - the funds used to run the inspection system would be better spent in schools themselves.

The Liberal Democrat Education Spokesman, Don Foster, said: "There is no question that tough independent inspection of schools is vital.

"The question that needs to be answered is whether or not the present inspection regime is the right one. Ofsted inspectors should become critical friends and not just critics of schools."

No response

Mori sent out 2,041 questionnaires on 14 August and had received 1,260 replies by the 12 October deadline, a response rate of 62%.

Mori also found:

• 82% of schools agreed that the judgements made by inspectors were "fair and accurate".
• Three quarters said reports on their school provided a helpful agenda for improvement.
• 27% said inspection in itself provided a means of raising standards in a school, and only 15% said it provided a means of improving teaching.