Ofsted inspectors use subject 'deep dives' to inspect your curriculum.
They use them to consider the 'intent, implementation and impact' of your curriculum as part of the 'quality of education' assessment.
Ofsted has emphasised that it doesn't make judgements on specific subjects, lessons or teachers. Inspectors use deep dives to help them arrive at an overall 'quality of education' judgement.
See paragraphs 228 to 232 of the School Inspection Handbook (from September 2023) for more details.
Will Ofsted do a PE deep dive?
In primary schools, Ofsted will:
- Always do a deep dive in:
- Reading
- 1 or more foundation subjects, which could include PE
- Often do a deep dive in maths
In secondary schools, Ofsted will usually focus on a sample of 4 to 6 subjects. PE could be one of these subjects.
See paragraph 229 of the School Inspection Handbook for more details.
How deep dives work
Your senior leadership team, curriculum leads, subject leads,