The Ofsted Inspection Process - What to Expect
- John Cadence
- Oct 23, 2024
- 4 min read
Ofsted inspections are an essential part of maintaining and improving the quality of education in schools across England. They are designed to provide an independent assessment of how well a school is performing and where improvements can be made. Understanding the process can help you and your staff to feel more prepared when the time comes.
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to the Ofsted inspection process, taken from personal inspection experience and years of supporting school leaders through the process.
1. Notification of Inspection
Schools are typically informed of an inspection the afternoon before it is due to start. Following the response to Ofsted’s Big Listen, as of September 2024, the majority of schools will be notified about an inspection by 2:00pm on the Monday of that week. The school will receive a call notification call followed by a call from the lead inspector, who will inform the headteacher of the inspection.
During the call, the inspector will:
Discuss practical details about the inspection.
Request key documents, including safeguarding records and curriculum plans.
Schedule meetings with key staff, such as senior leaders, subject leaders and governors.
To prepare yourself for the Ofsted phone call, you will want to ensure all necessary documents are up to date and readily available. You can read more about the Ofsted phone call in this blog or explore the help available in our primary and secondary packs.
2. Pre-Inspection Preparation
Once the school is notified, the lead inspector begins to gather evidence to understand the school’s context. This preparation includes:
Reviewing the school’s previous Ofsted report.
Examining performance data (e.g. exam results, attendance and exclusions).
Reading the school's website, including policies related to safeguarding and curriculum.
Looking at external sources like the Department for Education (DfE) statistics and feedback from Parent View (Ofsted’s online survey for parents).
To prepare your school in advance of the phone call, ensure your school's website is up to date with all statutory information and check you have reviewed any previous recommendations and show how they have been addressed. There is a section on website compliance in the primary and secondary Ofsted Inspection Guides.
3. Inspection Day(s)
The inspection itself usually lasts one or two days, depending on the type of inspection and size of your school. Inspectors will arrive at the time agreed with you during the phone call and begin with an initial meeting with the headteacher and senior leadership team to outline the focus of the inspection.
During the inspection, inspectors will:
Visit lessons across a range of subjects and year groups, focusing on curriculum delivery, pupil behaviour and learning outcomes.
Hold meetings with senior leaders, governors, subject leaders and staff responsible for areas such as safeguarding and SEND.
Walk through the school, visiting classrooms and observing behaviour in corridors and during breaks.
Engage with students about their learning experiences, behaviour and safety at school.
Review documentation including curriculum plans, performance data, safeguarding and attendance records.
Inspectors will focus on the four key areas of the Education Inspection Framework (EIF):
Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management
You can read more about the four areas of the EIF in this blog.
To prepare your school effectively for a smooth inspection:
Ensure staff are aware of the key areas of focus for the inspection.
Maintain normal routines to show the school's typical working environment.
Encourage open and honest dialogue between inspectors, staff and students.
During the inspection, you will have regular opportunities to meet with the inspection team to hear how the process is going and about any areas of concern that have been identified. This professional conversation enables you to gather further evidence if required in relation to their lines of enquiry.
4. Feedback and Judgement
At the end of the inspection, the lead inspector will meet with the headteacher and senior leaders to share their findings. This feedback will highlight strengths and areas for improvement.
The feedback typically includes:
How well the school is performing in each of the four areas of the EIF.
Areas that may need further development.
Initial insights into how the school compares to the last inspection
To assist you during this part of the process, prepare to take notes to track key points and use the feedback as an opportunity to ask for clarification or more detailed guidance.
Following this meeting, the inspection team will meet with a selection of governors and agreed staff members to share the findings and, if this is a graded inspection, the gradings for each of the four areas.
5. Ofsted Report
Usually within two weeks of the inspection, the school will receive a draft version of their school’s Ofsted report. This report will include any gradings and detailed commentary on the school’s performance in each of the four areas.
You will have the opportunity at this point to share or challenge any of the comments in the report that you feel are not a true reflection of the inspection. Once agreed and finalised, the report is made available to all staff, parents, carers and the public.
Once you receive the report, you will want to share it with staff, governors and parents.
It’s best practice to create an action plan to address any areas for improvement highlighted by the inspection too.
6. Post-Inspection Action
After the inspection, it’s important to reflect on the findings and put in place actions to sustain strengths and address any weaknesses. Depending on the outcomes of the inspection, you may receive follow-up monitoring inspections.
To support the post-inspection action, you will want to prioritise addressing areas for improvement to demonstrate progress. To aid this, ensure you maintain regular reviews of policies, the curriculum and student outcomes to ensure continuous improvement.
If you’re anticipating the Ofsted phone call soon, or just want to better prepare your staff team so they are less worried about what the process entails, take a look at the comprehensive Ofsted Inspection Guide, available for both primary and secondary schools.