Your role as a governing board
As a governing board, you won't be inspected under Ofsted's post-16 provision evaluation area.
The sections below cover how Ofsted will inspect your school's post-16 provision. You're not expected to know this information in great detail, but understanding the basics can help you hold your school's leaders to account, which you are expected to do.
Post-16 provision is graded on a 5-point scale
'Post-16 provision' is an evaluation area under the 2025 inspection framework (known as 'sixth-form provision' under the previous framework).
The evaluation areas will appear on your school’s inspection report card. Each area will be graded using Ofsted’s new 5-point grading system, with Ofsted expecting most schools to attain at least ‘expected standard’ in each evaluation area. The exception is safeguarding, which is either 'met' or 'not met'.
The grades are:
Your school's requirements won’t have significantly changed from previous inspections – Ofsted will look