Keeping your governance professionals Ofsted-ready

As a governance lead, you’ll want to be confident that your team are ready to face an Ofsted inspection with confidence. Read our advice on staying organised and building confidence year-round, plus what to do just before an inspection.

Last reviewed on 4 March 2026
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 46246
Contents
  1. Support just before and during an inspection
  2. Year-round preparation
  3. Keep everyone updated on changes to inspection

Support just before and during an inspection

Offer an informal drop-in ‘rehearsal’

If you know that one or more of your schools are likely to be inspected soon, give governance professionals the opportunity to run through some potential questions and model answers, and to share any worries or concerns with you. This could be via a phone call or an online meeting.

Can you outline the governance structure and how responsibilities are delegated? How do the local governing bodies fit within the trust structure? How is insight from the local tier fed back to the trust board? How does information flow between the different layers of governance? How do you monitor governor/trustee eligibility and declarations of interest? How do you ensure policies are reviewed within the required timescales? How do you ensure safeguarding oversight is properly documented? What training do governors and trustees receive? How do you ensure