Getting the most out of your Ofsted feedback

Make sure you take the opportunity to get useful feedback on how to improve your school. You can download our reflection sheet to help you record what inspectors are saying.

Last reviewed on 14 March 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 46256
Contents
  1. Don’t wait until the final feedback meeting
  2. Listen carefully to what inspectors say to each other
  3. Use our reflection sheet to record feedback
  4. It should be a continuous conversation
  5. Take the time to reflect

Don’t wait until the final feedback meeting

It’s important that you start to capture and reflect on feedback before the end of the inspection. This gives you time to question and clarify the inspector’s judgements while they are still in your school.

The final feedback meeting at the end of the inspection is primarily intended for governors, so will be a summary of the inspectors’ key findings rather than a detailed account. Likewise, the final report is intended for parents and will be even less detailed.

Nothing you hear at the final meeting or in the report should come as a surprise. You will have plenty of opportunity to get feedback and discuss it with inspectors earlier in the inspection.

Read our step-by-step guide to a graded Ofsted inspection so you know what to expect.

You and other senior leaders will