Introduction
Welcome to Ofsted Inspections.
This sixth edition of Ofsted Inspections introduces new material to help schools prepare for inspection according to the requirements applicable from September 2005, and is based on the Framework for the inspection of schools in England from September 2005 (hereafter referred to as the Framework).
The resource is designed to prepare all those associated with a school for an Ofsted inspection. An Ofsted inspection should not be viewed as an event that will occur once every three years, but as part of a continuous process in which the whole school community is developing. The current emphasis on self-evaluation particularly highlights this approach.
Ofsted Inspections offers guidance and background information to support a wealth of digital files that can be amended, printed out and used:
- as the basis of INSET for individual staff and governors, and to encourage whole school development
- administratively, in preparation for, for use during and as a follow-up to an inspection.
The material is intended to be used as an ongoing INSET vehicle, as the school will no longer have the lead-in time between notification of an inspection and when the inspection actually takes place. The resource is designed to ensure that all involved (and not just the teaching staff) are aware of their responsibilities.
The digital files also provide a way of recording when tasks are assigned and completed, and offer the opportunity for questions to be raised and comments to be made.
Note that Estyn (the office of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales) continues to inspect schools under Section 10 of the Schools Inspection Act 1996 and information about new inspection arrangements provided in this resource refers to England only.