
Ann Pritchard, Her Majesty’s Inspector, takes us through a short inspection
As I reflect on a recent short inspection of a good school, I recall how intensive these days can be. Reaching an accurate judgement on...

Tackling workload together – a new question for staff at the point of inspection
Workload is still a major concern for teachers across the country. This was confirmed once again when I recently tweeted on the subject....

Summer round-up
As we head towards autumn I hope you have all managed to get some rest and relaxation over the summer and are feeling refreshed for the...

Progress, but a lot of work still to do
Hopefully, those of you who keep in touch with my updates here and my Twitter activity will have noticed that one of my main...

Changing our approach to short inspections: your views wanted
Earlier this month, we launched a consultation on changes to the way we carry out our short inspections of good schools. Your views on...

Wendy Ratcliff, HMI, reflects on an early years inspection
On a one-day early years inspection I have to gather a lot of evidence. This helps me to reach an accurate rating at the end of the day –...

Myth-busting guide launched for early years
Our inspectors often encounter myths about inspection. These make our work harder and impact on those we inspect. So we’ve launched a...

The apprenticeship levy: implications for inspection
Funding for apprenticeships is changing. An apprenticeship levy of 0.5% is being applied on wage bills, but is offset by a government...

Clarifying primary prior attainment bandings
It has come to my attention recently that there is some misunderstanding around the differences in the prior attainment bandings used in...

Christine Raeside, Senior HMI, on checking the quality of an inspection
Watching inspections and checking that the process is working well is part of my role as a Senior HMI. I shadow inspections of our new...

Inspection and the use of grade predictions
The culmination of two years’ hard work for those about to take GCSEs, including my own son, is soon to be upon us. Once the exams are...

Steve Tucker, HMI reflects on a further education and skills inspection
On a four-day further education and skills inspection there’s a lot of evidence to collect and many people to speak with when reaching an...

Keeping children safe in education and Ofsted’s role
Periodically at Ofsted I become aware of misconceptions about inspection processes; what we look at and what people think is required by...

Ofsted Inspectors start leading short inspections
Let me begin by wishing you all a very happy New Year. I hope you had the opportunity to relax and recharge your batteries over the...

A call to action - what we would like from you for 2017
As the term winds down and people start to plan for the Christmas period, I’d like to thank all our readers of this blog for their...

Inspection and revisions to safeguarding guidance
As we come towards the end of the autumn term it is worth reflecting on the revisions to the government’s Keeping children safe in...

Inspecting safeguarding in the early years - a reminder of the guidance and some commonly asked ques
With children under the age of five being cared for and taught in a range of different settings, often with slightly differing regulatory...

Marking and other myths
As you will all know, some of the myths about what Ofsted wants still persist in many schools among teachers, senior leaders and...

Minor updates to further education and skills inspection handbook
At Ofsted we’re very aware of all the changes taking place in the sector and appreciate that there are challenges ahead. I know Area...




















