School performance and inspection
Schools in England are inspected and graded by Ofsted, in Northern Ireland by the Education & Training Inspectorate and in Wales by Estyn. We explain what inspectors look for, how schools are graded and what the grades mean.
Ofsted inspections
Ofsted stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills and while it reports to the Department for Education, it is politically neutral.
The inspection
Schools are normally inspected for two days. Inspectors are present within the school and within selected classes during a‘normal’ school day.
They will:
- Observe lessons
- Scrutinise pupils’ work
- Listen to pupils read
- Look at examples of pupils’ work for evidence of progress in knowledge, understanding and skills
- Talk to pupils about their work to gain their views of life at the school (often outside of classroom setting)
Inspectors will evaluate evidence of the impact of the curriculum, including on the most disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). This involves in-depth discussions with school leaders, and they remain in regular contact with the head teacher throughout the inspection.
Inspectors will also assess the school’s performance through discussions with pupils and staff, governors or trustees and parents. Your school should notify you of the inspection dates and provide you with details about how you can offer your views.
Schools get very little notice of inspections, usually finding out the afternoon before the inspection begins. They take place all year round, the exception being the very first week of a new academic year.