Ofsted 'summary evaluations' of trusts: explainer

Summary evaluations are Ofsted's approach to gathering findings about a multi-academy trust. Find out what happens at each stage of the process, what Ofsted will expect and what it's likely to consider.

Last reviewed on 12 June 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 40730
Contents
  1. Ofsted assesses the quality of education provided by a trust
  2. Summary evaluations aren't just for trusts that cause concern
  3. Stage 1: batched inspections
  4. Stage 2: the summary evaluation
  5. Areas inspectors will explore
  6. Outcomes of the summary evaluation

Ofsted assesses the quality of education provided by a trust

There are 2 stages to summary evaluations:

  1. Batched inspections: Ofsted carries out normal inspections in a number of a trust's academies, usually over a period of up to 2 terms
  2. Summary evaluation: over a week inspectors meet trust leaders and discuss the findings of the individual inspections and the overall educational quality across the trust
    • Inspectors will also meet trustees

Summary evaluations aren't entirely new – they're similar to what Ofsted used to call 'focused reviews'. 

Ofsted has been clear that summary evaluations are not the same as inspections, and they're carried out with the consent and co-operation of the trust. Ofsted describes them as a way to:

If your trust isn't willing to engage in a summary evaluation the inspector will contact your regional director – although