Ofsted Inspection Preparation Audit Questions for Governors and Trustees

Ensuring that governors are prepared to speak with inspectors during an Ofsted inspection can be challenging, especially for governing boards with a lack of engagement or understanding about the inspection process and their role in it.

This ten-page audit helps to bridge the information gap between school leaders and governors to ensure that all parties have a strong understanding of the school's strengths and development points, as well as their progress since the last inspection. It covers the following key aspects:

• Curriculum and learning
• Monitoring and evaluating impact
• Safeguarding and equality
• Leadership and staff wellbeing
• Stakeholder engagement
• Strategic direction

The audit questions can be used in a versatile manner to support different sizes and forms of governing bodies, including local governing boards (LGBs). Some heads choose to work through the audit questions with their chair of governors, vice chair and/or committee chairs, who will then work with smaller groups to discuss the audit outcomes. Others may choose to work with their full governing board and go through the audit part of a full governing board meeting, identifying where governor understanding is strong and where it needs development.

However you choose to use the audit, it can support your governors' understanding of your school's current position. This means that not only will governors be able to 'talk' your school when Ofsted visit, but their understanding of your setting's next steps means they'll be able to set more effective strategic priorities, which is an essential part of the leadership and management judgement as outlined in the schools inspection handbook and education inspection framework.