How Ofsted inspects leadership and governance

Understand how Ofsted will inspect leadership and governance in your school/trust and the key evidence inspectors will consider under the 2025 inspection framework.

Last reviewed on 8 October 2025See updates
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 36195
Contents
  1. Your role as a governing board
  2. Leadership and governance is evaluated on a 5-point scale
  3. What Ofsted is looking for
  4. How your school will be graded
  5. How Ofsted will gather evidence
  6. Next steps

Your role as a governing board

As a governing board, you'll be inspected under Ofsted's 'leadership and governance' evaluation area. 

The sections below cover how Ofsted will inspect this area. You're not expected to know this information in great detail, but knowing the basics can help you hold your senior leadership team to account, which you are expected to do.

You'll meet with inspectors during an Ofsted inspection

Inspectors will meet with 'those responsible for governance' in your school. This means:

  • Maintained schools: the board of governors 
  • Academies: the board of trustees – and if you employ a governance professional, they will also meet with them

The meeting may be virtual, for