Ofsted and other inspection

Highlights from school evaluation and improvement

Evidence and documents for inspection

2 articles
  • How Ofsted gathers evidence about pupil experience
    Ofsted inspectors don't expect to see written pupil case studies. Understand how Ofsted will learn about and evaluate pupil experiences of your school, including which pupil groups and topics they're likely to focus on.
  • How to present safeguarding referrals to Ofsted
    Ofsted will ask to see a list of safeguarding referrals made to your DSL. Get expert advice on presenting this information, and see examples of forms other schools use to record referrals.

Inspection criteria

18 articles
  • Attendance: what Ofsted is looking for
    Ofsted will consider your attendance data when making specific judgements. Understand what evidence inspectors will want to look at, and what they want to see in 'outstanding' and 'good' schools.
  • 'Cultural capital': expanding narrow definitions
    Prepare your pupils for life in modern Britain by providing 'cultural capital' that celebrates all cultures, and reflects your community and the country's diversity.
  • 'Cultural capital': what Ofsted is looking for
    Ofsted will consider ‘cultural capital’ when assessing your quality of education, but what does this actually mean? Read on to find out how inspectors will evaluate it in your school.

Inspection criteria: teaching and learning

2 articles
  • How Ofsted inspects SEND provision
    See how Ofsted inspects SEND provision in special schools and mainstream schools with SEND provision. Find out what inspectors look for, how they gather evidence, and how they assess outcomes.
  • Teaching assistants' role in Ofsted inspections
    Inspectors won't judge individual teaching assistants – they're more interested in how effectively you use them. However, your TAs might get asked about safeguarding and behaviour. Find out what Ofsted expects from TAs so you can be prepared.

Inspection processes and procedures

4 articles

Preparing for inspection

8 articles
  • How to follow up an Ofsted inspection at one of your schools
    Follow our guide for trust leaders so that you can provide effective support to your schools after they've been inspected by Ofsted. We go through the steps you should take whether your school is judged 'outstanding' or 'inadequate'.
    For Trust Leaders
  • How to keep governors Ofsted-ready
    Update your board regularly on what's going on in your school. If governors are up to speed, they'll feel more ready for an Ofsted inspection. Share our list of questions so they know what inspectors might ask them.
  • Ofsted inspection: curriculum FAQs
    Not sure how Ofsted will inspect your curriculum? Get answers to frequently asked questions under the 2019 framework.

Questions Ofsted might ask

2 articles

The inspection system

8 articles
  • Frequency of Ofsted inspections
    Find out how often Ofsted inspects schools and get an idea of when your next inspection will be.
  • How Ofsted inspects alternative provision
    Learn how Ofsted inspects pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative provision (AP) academies. Also find information covering inspection of off-site units and residential provision.
  • Inspection judgements: Ofsted grade descriptors
    Use our side-by-side comparison of Ofsted grade descriptors, which reflect updates to the School Inspection Handbook from September 2023 and January 2024, to understand the criteria inspectors use to make their judgements.