Ofsted inspection of schools rated ‘requires improvement’

Last reviewed on 10 March 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 12493

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.

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Contents

  1. Extended inspection timings during COVID-19
  2. Subsequent inspection timings
  3. Before a monitoring inspection
  4. During the monitoring inspection
  5. At the end of the monitoring inspection

Extended inspection timings during COVID-19

Due to a backlog of inspections caused by coronavirus, Ofsted has extended its inspection intervals for the first inspection following the pandemic.

This means:

  • Your first inspection following the pandemic will be extended by up to 6 terms (normally you'd have a section 5 inspection within 30 months of the publication of the previous section 5 report)
  • If you're showing some improvement, but are not yet 'good' in key aspects, you may be judged 'requires improvement' again and will normally be monitored. Your next section 5 inspection following monitoring will take place within 30 months of the publication of the previous section 5 report, unless your inspection following monitoring is the first one following the pandemic, in which case the period between inspections will be extended by up to 6 terms

See paragraphs 43, and 151 to 153 of the School Inspection Handbook.

After your first inspection following the

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