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Ofsted inspection: safeguarding

Understand what inspectors expect to see in your school's safeguarding arrangements, and what evidence Ofsted will collect during an inspection.

Last reviewed on 18 November 2024See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 5243
Contents
  1. Your role in the inspection of safeguarding
  2. Safeguarding impacts your school's 'leadership and management' judgement
  3. Your school should have a positive culture around safeguarding
  4. Inspectors will evaluate safeguarding arrangements for pupils with SEND
  5. Inspectors will look at how your school handles allegations of sexual abuse
  6. If your school has staff living on site
  7. What 'effective' vs 'ineffective' safeguarding looks like
  8. Evidence your school must give inspectors
  9. Ofsted can suspend an inspection if it has safeguarding concerns 

Your role in the inspection of safeguarding

Everyone involved in a school or trust has a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, including governing boards and trustees. This responsibility is outlined in paragraph 2 of the statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

Along with the statutory guidance, understanding what Ofsted inspectors will be looking for in terms of safeguarding will give you a framework for monitoring it in your school. 

Read more about the changes to KCSIE for September 2024 for more detail on the most recent updates.

Safeguarding impacts your school's 'leadership and management' judgement

There's no separate graded judgement for safeguarding, as there is for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

If safeguarding is ineffective, this will likely