Ofsted inspection framework: what it means for your school

Find out what your school needs to do under the current framework, so you can monitor how your school is performing against the 4 areas of judgement.

Last reviewed on 7 February 2024
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School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 34214
Contents
  1. Quality of education
  2. Behaviour and attitudes
  3. Personal development
  4. Leadership and management

The School Inspection Handbook was published in 2019 with some small changes made in recent years.

Ofsted will inspect your school against 4 key judgements:

  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management

Quality of education

Your school's curriculum is at the heart of Ofsted's 'quality of education' judgement.

As a governing board, you won't be inspected under the 'quality of education' judgement, so you don't need to know this information in great detail, but understanding the basics could help you monitor your school's approach. 

Intent, implementation and impact

The 'quality of education' judgement is split into 3 curriculum concepts:

  • Intent: your school's curriculum plan, including its design, structure and sequence
  • Implementation: how your school's intended curriculum is taught and assessed
  • Impact: the outcomes for your pupils as a result of the education they've received

Intent: what