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'.

Last reviewed on 14 February 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 44190
Contents
  1. Attend the final feedback meeting 
  2. Go through the inspection report
  3. Draw up your action plans
  4. Follow up with the academy

The guidance in this article comes from the School Inspection Handbook and one of our experts, David New.

Attend the final feedback meeting 

Make sure the CEO, or someone from the central leadership team, attends the final feedback meeting with the inspector and school headteacher. This is because Ofsted reports follow a strict style and don't give the full picture.

For graded inspections: the provisional grades awarded for each key judgement and for overall effectiveness, with sufficient detail as to how each judgement was reached (emphasising that these grades are subject to change and must therefore be treated as confidential) Key findings from the inspection Any recommendations for improvement The draft report should not be shared or published until the school receives the final inspection report The headteacher is invited to complete the post-inspection survey The implications for the school if it's judged to be 'inadequate' For a school