The inspection system

Highlights from school evaluation and improvement

Includes a KeyDoc SIP template

2019 Ofsted inspection framework: what it means for your school A revised Ofsted inspection framework came into force in September 2019. Read on to find out what to do under this current framework, how to assess your curriculum's 'intent, implementation and impact' with our prompts, and know how inspectors will judge behaviour in your school.
Frequency of Ofsted inspections UpdatedFind 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. You'll 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 the September 2021 School Inspection Handbook updates, to understand the criteria inspectors use to make their judgements.
Ofsted inspection of schools rated ‘requires improvement’ If you're rated 'requires improvement', you may receive a monitoring inspection prior to a section 5 re-inspection. Understand what happens during a monitoring inspection and the frequency of inspections.
Section 8 inspections for 'good' and 'outstanding' schools Be ready for your next section 8 inspection when Ofsted restarts routine inspections in autumn 2021. Here's what happens before, during and after, and what Ofsted will be looking for.