Staying Ofsted-ready as a governor

Use our checklists to be confident that, when Ofsted arrives, you've got everything under control. Download our list of questions that inspectors might ask governors, and follow our links to brush up on any areas you're not sure of.

Last reviewed on 8 October 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 43074
Contents
  1. What to do throughout the year
  2. Questions inspectors might ask governors
  3. What to do after you get the call
  4. How you're involved during the inspection
Ofsted is currently consulting on changes to inspections, after which inspections will be paused until November 2025. We'll update this article to cover new judgement areas, ready for when inspections resume under the new format.

If you're expecting an inspection this term, your inspectors will look at the current areas of judgement, and you can use this article to help you prepare.

What to do throughout the year

Download the checklist below to see what key things you should check and do regularly.

The tasks in this list relate to your core functions, so you're probably already doing a lot of these things.

Questions to consider as a board Consider these questions regularly to make sure you understand these key areas of school life and what your board and leaders are doing to drive improvement. School vision: What is our vision for the school over the next 2 years? How will we