Preparing for Ofsted: Researching your inspector's reports

An Ofsted inspection can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when you have less than 24 hours notice. However, with the right preparation, you can make the best of the situation and perform well during the inspection. One of the key ways to prepare for an inspection is to review the reports for your specific inspector, which can give you insight into the inspector's areas of focus and reporting style. The inspection reports available on ofstedinsider.co.uk are a valuable resource for this purpose, and can help you quickly find and utilise the information you need to improve outcomes for children and be as well prepared as possible for your inspection.

Quickly Finding and Utilising Ofsted Inspection Reports for a Specific Inspector

You can download this article as a printable poster.

1.Gather information

First, search for the specific inspector who will be conducting your inspection. You can then download all the reports we have collected for that inspector in one handy file.

2.Time management

Set aside at least an hour of dedicated time to review the reports, focusing on the most recent ones. We have named each file with the inspection number so you can easily see the most recent inspections in order.

3.Make notes

As you read through the reports, make note of any common themes or areas of concern that are mentioned across multiple reports. These may be areas that the inspector will be particularly interested in during your inspection.

4.Look for good and bad

Pay special attention to both the positive and negative statements as it will help you understand not only the areas of improvement but also the good practices that the inspector may look for during your inspection.

5.Spot patterns

Look for patterns if the inspector is regularly focused on a particular area such as staff training, safeguarding, child development or any other area in particular.

6.Prioritise

Prioritise the areas that you will need to focus on for your upcoming inspection. You may want to make a list of the most important issues to address, and assign someone on your team to take responsibility for each area.

7.Make a plan

Make a plan for addressing the areas of concern or improvement, And also prepare your staff and rooms accordingly.

8.Communicate

Before the inspection, make sure that you have implemented your plan, and reviewed the outcome. Reviewing the plan with your team will help you stay calm during the inspection and provide evidence of the steps you have taken to improve the areas of concern.

9.Stay calm

Finally, stay calm and provide evidence of the steps you have taken to improve the areas of concern to the inspector.

10.No time left? But knowledge is power!

Remember that even though you may not have time to change anything, there is still time to mentally prepare for questions that may focus on a particular area. It may also be worth checking out our article "Had the call from Ofsted? Here's 4 things you should do now!" for additional tips on preparing for an inspection and to have the best chances for a successful outcome.