Ofsted Expected Standards Checklist
A NotebookLM post
Here is a checklist for your school evaluation plan, focusing on the "expected standard" for each category to help ensure your school will pass an Ofsted inspection.
I made this using NotebookLM.
At the end, I reproduce the checklist to include what Ofsted are likely to look for in a mainstream secondary school for each item on the list.
School Evaluation Checklist: Meeting Ofsted's Expected Standards
This checklist outlines the key areas to evaluate within your school to ensure it meets the "expected standard" across all Ofsted inspection categories, supporting self-evaluation and continuous improvement.
1. Safeguarding
To meet the expected standard ("Met"):
• Open Culture: Leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
• Effective Multi-agency Working: There is effective collaboration with other agencies.
• Strategic Oversight: All aspects of safeguarding and promoting pupil welfare have strategic oversight.
• Learning from Incidents: Leaders actively learn from safeguarding cases and incidents, taking necessary action.
• Pupil Safety & Voice: Pupils are kept safe, feel safe, and their voices are heard, including those not on site.
• Safety Education: Teaching pupils how to stay safe and seek help is embedded across the curriculum.
• Staff Vigilance & Responsibility: All staff are vigilant, carry out their responsibilities effectively, understand safeguarding signs, and confidently follow school systems.
• Child-on-Child Violence: Leaders fulfill their responsibilities regarding child-on-child violence, including bullying, physical abuse, sexual violence, harassment, and teenage relationship abuse.
• Statutory Requirements: Leaders know and fulfill statutory safeguarding requirements, including safer recruitment, reporting, referrals, record-keeping, and the ‘Prevent’ duty.
• Clear Policies: The school has clear and accessible policies and procedures that keep pupils safe.
• Receptiveness to Challenge: Leaders are receptive to challenge and reflect on practices, ensuring continual review of safeguarding policies, systems, and processes.
• Staff Support & Monitoring: Leaders ensure staff work is monitored, and they receive appropriate supervision and support, with appropriate conduct and behaviour.
• Allegations Management: Leaders follow local authority procedures for managing safeguarding concerns or allegations about adults.
• Issue Resolution: Any minor safeguarding issues identified during inspection are resolved or steps are being taken to resolve them.
2. Inclusion
To meet the expected standard:
• Accurate Needs Identification: Leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately, including emerging or changing needs for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and those known to social care.
• High Expectations: Leaders maintain high expectations for these pupils.
• Effective Support: Support provided, including specialist advice, generally reduces barriers to learning and/or well-being.
• Graduated Approach: Leaders take a graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review), ensuring pupils' needs are generally met.
• Staff Training: Staff receive suitable training and support to implement the graduated approach.
• Understanding Needs & Progress: Leaders have a secure understanding of these pupils’ needs and their progress.
• Evidence-informed Pupil Premium Strategy: The pupil premium strategy is informed by appropriate evidence and generally understood and implemented by staff.
• Empowered SENCo: A qualified SENCo has sufficient authority within the leadership structure to make a positive difference for pupils with SEND.
• Local Area Partnership: Leaders are committed to and understand their role in the local area partnership’s strategy for SEND, ensuring it positively impacts pupils at the school.
• Support for Social Care Pupils: Leaders support pupils known (or previously known) to children’s social care, including looked-after children, effectively.
• Effective Personal Education Plans: Staff work effectively with the virtual school to ensure personal education plans generally improve learning opportunities and experiences.
• Appropriate Alternative Provision: Alternative provision is commissioned appropriately and used in pupils’ best interests, with leaders taking responsibility for their education and welfare.
3. Curriculum and Teaching
To meet the expected standard:
• Accurate Understanding: Leaders have an accurate and informed understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school.
• Resource Allocation: Decisions on staff deployment and resource allocation are based on this understanding, with timely action for improvement.
• Suitable & Planned Curriculum: The curriculum is suitable and well-planned for each subject and year group, with clear end points and appropriate sequencing.
• Effective Teaching: The curriculum is generally taught well, with teachers drawing on knowledge of pupils’ needs and evidence-informed teaching.
• Teacher Expertise: Leaders ensure teachers have or gain the necessary expertise for their subjects and phases.
• Systematic Synthetic Phonics: All pupils at early stages of reading are taught through systematic synthetic phonics.
• Foundational Knowledge: Leaders and staff secure foundational knowledge in communication, language, reading, spelling, handwriting, and mathematics for those who haven’t yet.
• Effective Assessment: Assessment is generally used well to check understanding and inform changes to teaching and/or the curriculum.
• High-Quality Teaching & Support: Leaders and staff are clear about the importance of high-quality teaching, supplemented with targeted academic support.
• Reasonable Adjustments: Reasonable adjustments or adaptations to the curriculum or teaching are generally considered and implemented carefully.
• EHC Plan Consideration: Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans are properly considered in curriculum design and delivery.
• Inclusive Implementation: The school’s approach to inclusive curriculum and teaching for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and others is implemented consistently well across the school to remove barriers.
4. Achievement
To meet the expected standard:
• Readiness for Next Stage: On the whole, pupils are ready for the next stage of education, employment, or training.
• Appropriate Knowledge & Skills: Pupils generally have appropriate knowledge and skills across the curriculum, reflected in their work and responses.
• Foundational Knowledge & Fluency: Pupils develop necessary foundational knowledge and skills, including language and communication. Younger pupils and older pupils (where needed) largely secure accuracy and fluency in word reading, spelling, handwriting, and number facts.
• Closing Gaps: Any gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge or skills are closing quickly.
• Overall Achievement: On the whole, pupils achieve well.
• National Tests/Examinations: Attainment and progress in national tests and examinations are broadly in line with national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Progress for Specific Groups: Disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known to social care, and others generally make suitable progress from their starting points, developing appropriate knowledge and skills.
5. Attendance and Behaviour
To meet the expected standard:
• Informed Understanding: Leaders and staff have an informed and accurate understanding of attendance, behaviour, and attitudes.
• Effective Strategies: Effective strategies are established to tackle any issues.
• High Expectations: Leaders establish high expectations for all pupils’ behaviour, based on positive relationships, and rules and routines that are generally understood.
• Consistent Application: Staff maintain and reinforce high expectations, acting as role models, teaching positive behaviour, and generally applying agreed rules and sanctions effectively.
• Appropriate Sanctions: Suspension and permanent exclusion are used appropriately.
• Addressing Harmful Behaviour: Incidents of bullying, unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, physical and/or sexual violence, and derogatory language are usually dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Positive Pupil Conduct: Pupils generally behave well, follow agreed routines, and show positive attitudes to learning, contributing to a safe and calm environment.
• Attendance Analysis: Leaders analyze attendance information closely at whole-school and group levels to identify patterns, trends, causes of poor attendance, intervene early, and remove barriers.
• Attendance Levels/Trends: Overall attendance is broadly in line with national averages or shows an improving trend over time.
• Improving Absence Rates: Attendance is improving, including for persistently or severely absent pupils and specific groups leaders have focused on.
• Timely Adjustments: Any reasonable adjustments or adaptations to attendance and/or behaviour strategies are timely and appropriate for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known to social care, and young carers.
• Targeted Interventions: Interventions for attendance and behaviour are timely, well chosen, and targeted.
6. Personal Development and Well-being
To meet the expected standard:
• Coherent Programme: A coherent and appropriate programme of personal development extends across the taught curriculum and wider opportunities/experiences.
• SMSC Development: The programme makes a positive difference to pupils, enabling spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development.
• RHE/RSHE Programme: It includes a suitable and well-taught Relationships, Health, and Sex Education (RHE/RSHE) programme that develops pupils’ knowledge.
• Understanding Diversity & Values: Pupils develop understanding of and respect for protected characteristics, fundamental British values, and cultural diversity in modern Britain.
• Enrichment Opportunities: Pupils have a range of suitable opportunities that broaden experiences and develop talents/interests (e.g., arts, music, sport).
• Careers Education: Careers education, where relevant, prepares pupils for future education, employment, or training.
• Gatsby Benchmarks: The school is making steady progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks.
• Effective Pastoral Support: Effective pastoral support meets pupils’ needs.
• Pupil Access to Support: Pupils are confident in accessing pastoral care when they need it.
• Universal Entitlement: The personal development programme is an entitlement for every pupil.
• Inclusive Participation: Leaders track participation and ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged, those with SEND, those known to social care, and young carers, can participate appropriately, with reasonable adjustments made.
7. Early Years (in schools)
To meet the expected standard:
• Prioritisation: Leaders prioritize the early years to give children a successful start to their education and the best chance of later success.
• Accurate Understanding: Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality and impact of education and care in this phase, with an effective strategy for improvements.
• Statutory EYFS Requirements: Leaders know and ensure all statutory requirements of the EYFS are met.
• Clear Vision & High Expectations: Leaders have a clear vision for high-quality early years education and care, with the same high expectations as for pupils in the rest of the school.
• Age/Stage Appropriate Practices: Education and care practices are suitable for the age and stage of children’s development.
• Sequenced Curriculum: The curriculum identifies and sequences the key knowledge children will learn across the EYFS educational programmes.
• Well-Taught Curriculum & Interactions: The curriculum is well taught, and staff engage in high-quality interactions with children.
• Addressing Knowledge Gaps: Staff consider children’s starting points in curriculum design and teaching, identifying and tackling gaps in knowledge.
• Effective Transition: Early years teachers inform Year 1 teachers about any knowledge gaps to ensure a smooth transition to Key Stage 1.
• Communication & Phonics: There is a sharp focus on children acquiring a wide vocabulary, communicating effectively, and, in Reception, securing phonics knowledge.
• PSED & Well-being: Leaders ensure effective provision for children’s personal, social, and emotional development, making sure they feel safe, secure, stimulated, and happy.
• Good Level of Development: Children are well prepared to reach a good level of development by the end of Reception, typically reflected in proportions broadly in line with national averages.
• Reading Fluency & Math Foundations: By the end of Reception, children use phonics to read accurately and with increasing fluency, and develop appropriate knowledge and skills across the 7 areas of learning.
• Progress from Starting Points: Children, including disadvantaged, those with SEND, and those known to social care, typically achieve well from their starting points, ready for the next stage of learning.
8. Post-16 Provision
To meet the expected standard:
• Accurate Understanding: Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the 16 to 19 study programme and address inconsistencies in a timely way.
• Suitable Study Programme: Leaders ensure students follow a suitable 16-19 study programme, aligned with DfE guidance and meeting cohort-specific needs.
• Sequenced & Well-Taught Curriculum: The curriculum is appropriately sequenced and well taught overall.
• Effective Assessment Use: Leaders and staff typically use assessment well to inform changes to teaching and/or the curriculum.
• Age-Appropriate Knowledge & Skills: Students generally have age-appropriate knowledge and skills across the curriculum, reflected in their work and responses.
• Overall Achievement: Students generally achieve well, with attainment and progress in national tests/examinations broadly in line with national averages.
• Progress from Starting Points: Where published data is unavailable (e.g., for some students with SEND), leaders can show that students typically make appropriate progress from their starting points.
• Readiness for Next Steps: Students are generally ready for the next stage of education, employment, or training.
• Appropriate Destinations: Students go on to destinations that meet their interests, career goals, and aspirations.
• Appropriate Adaptations: Adaptations to the curriculum or teaching for disadvantaged students, those with SEND, and others are appropriate and enable them to achieve well.
9. Leadership and Governance
To meet the expected standard:
• Contextual Understanding: Leaders understand the school’s context, strengths, and areas for development.
• Clear Improvement Rationale: They have a clear rationale for improvement priorities and generally take appropriate action across all key stages and areas.
• Timely Issue Resolution: Any aspect of provision falling short of the expected standard is dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Defined Vision & Ethos: Governors/trustees ensure the school’s vision, ethos, and strategic direction are clearly defined, contextualized, and resources (including digital technologies) are used effectively.
• Support & Challenge: Governors/trustees typically support and challenge leaders appropriately, considering leaders’ and staff well-being and workload.
• Role Models & High Expectations: Leaders are role models of high expectations and professionalism, and staff have high expectations of pupils.
• Staff & Governor Involvement: Leaders ensure staff and governors feel valued and involved in strategic direction, providing opportunities for shared perspectives and collaboration during change.
• Evidence-informed Professional Learning: The professional learning and expertise programme is evidence-informed, high-quality, designed to build expertise, and includes planned opportunities to apply and embed practice.
• Protected Time for Learning: Leaders protect time for professional learning.
• Staff Well-being & Workload: Leaders support staff well-being and ensure workload is manageable.
• Protection from Harm: Leaders have systems to protect staff from bullying, unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
• Constructive External Relationships: Leaders and governors develop constructive relationships with all parents and the wider community to build trust and support pupils.
• Collaboration with Other Organizations: Leaders work with other schools, organisations, and professionals in a culture of mutual support and challenge.
• Pupil Best Interests: Leaders act in the best interests of all pupils, including disadvantaged, those with SEND, those known to social care, and those facing other barriers.
What Evidence Might Ofsted Look For?
1 Safeguarding
Open Culture
Professional conversations, observation, and direct feedback from staff, pupils, and parents confirming they feel comfortable raising concerns and trust that appropriate action will be taken. Evidence that leaders are receptive to challenge and reflective about practice.
Effective Multi-agency Working
Review of records showing appropriate links with outside agencies and safeguarding partners. Evidence that concerns are referred in a timely way to those with expertise to help.
Strategic Oversight
Discussions with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and leadership to confirm a whole-school approach to safeguarding. Confirmation that the designated teacher for looked-after children is appointed.
Learning from Incidents
Evidence (through records or discussion) that leaders actively learn from safeguarding cases and incidents. Documentation showing continual review of safeguarding policies, systems, and processes.
Pupil Safety & Voice
Seeking and listening to the views and experiences of pupils regarding safety. Evidence of steps taken to safeguard pupils who are absent from education (children missing education) or attending alternative provision.
Safety Education
Curriculum planning and lesson observations demonstrating that teaching pupils how to stay safe and seek help (including online safety) is embedded across the curriculum.
Staff Vigilance & Responsibility
Discussions with staff to ensure they know, understand, and uphold their safeguarding responsibilities. Evidence of staff training records. Records demonstrating staff receive appropriate supervision and support.
Child-on-Child Violence
Review of systems and records demonstrating leaders fulfil responsibilities related to bullying, sexual violence, sexual harassment, physical abuse, and teenage relationship abuse. Evidence that staff are aware of signs and respond quickly and effectively.
Statutory Requirements (Safer Recruitment/Prevent)
Verification of the Single Central Record (SCR) (paper or electronic) to confirm all required pre-appointment and vetting checks for staff and other adults have been made. Evidence leaders understand and follow safer recruitment practices.
2. Inclusion
Accurate Needs Identification & High Expectations
Professional conversations and case sampling demonstrating leaders accurately and quickly identify emerging or changing needs for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and those known to social care. Evidence of maintaining high expectations for these pupils.
Effective Support & Graduated Approach
Evidence of the ‘assess, plan, do and review’ cycle in action for pupils with SEND. Records showing consultation with external specialists and implementation of reasonable adjustments required by the Equality Act 2010 and SEND Code of Practice.
Evidence-informed Pupil Premium Strategy
Review of the Pupil Premium Strategy demonstrating it is well thought through, based on evidence of what works, aligned with wider school priorities, and that staff are clear about their roles in delivering it.
Empowered SENCo
Discussions with the SENCo and leaders to confirm the SENCo’s leadership status and influence on whole-school improvement for pupils with SEND. Review of the easily accessible published SEN information report.
Local Area Partnership
Evidence of leaders’ commitment to and role in the local area partnership’s strategy for SEND, including promoting the local offer.
Support for Social Care Pupils
Discussions with the designated teacher, and review of Personal Education Plans (PEPs), confirming that high-quality support is received and that knowledge of a pupil’s social care status informs decisions promoting their welfare.
Appropriate Alternative Provision (AP)
Review of due diligence processes and monitoring to ensure AP is commissioned appropriately and is suitable and safe. Leaders must demonstrate responsibility for the education and welfare of pupils placed there.
3. Curriculum and Teaching
To meet the expected standard:
Accurate Understanding & Resource Allocation Professional conversations with leaders about their comprehensive understanding of curriculum and teaching quality across all secondary key stages (KS3, KS4, P-16). Evidence that staff deployment is effective.
Suitable & Planned Curriculum Review of subject curriculum documentation demonstrating it is ambitious, broad, balanced, coherently planned and sequenced to build knowledge cumulatively across subjects and key stages (e.g., strong KS3 leading to KS4).
Effective Teaching & Teacher Expertise Lesson observations demonstrating that teachers present information clearly, check understanding systematically, identify misconceptions, and adapt teaching as necessary. Evidence of professional learning ensuring teachers have/gain expert knowledge of their subjects.
Foundational Knowledge (Older Pupils) Evidence that assessment accurately identifies gaps in foundational knowledge (communication, language, reading, writing, mathematics) for older pupils. Evidence that ongoing, targeted teaching and practice are prioritized so pupils quickly catch up (especially reading fluency).
Effective Assessment Discussions with staff about how assessment is used to help pupils embed key concepts and inform necessary changes to teaching or the curriculum.
Reasonable Adjustments & EHC Plan Consideration Review of curriculum plans and teaching practices to ensure EHC plans are properly considered and that adaptations/reasonable adjustments for vulnerable groups are well targeted and effective.
Inclusive Implementation Observation and discussion to confirm the school’s approach to inclusive curriculum and teaching draws on best available evidence (research) and is implemented consistently to remove barriers for disadvantaged/SEND pupils.
4. Achievement
To meet the expected standard:
Readiness for Next Stage Discussions with pupils, and review of destination data (for KS4 and P-16 if applicable), to ensure pupils are prepared for their next stage of education, employment, or training.
Appropriate Knowledge & Skills Evidence gathered on site (e.g., learning walks, scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions) demonstrating that pupils have developed detailed knowledge and skills across the whole curriculum (especially KS3).
Foundational Knowledge & Fluency Evidence showing that gaps in language, communication, reading fluency, writing, and mathematics are closing quickly for older pupils who required support.
National Tests/Examinations Consideration of published national test and examination data (KS4/P-16) showing attainment and progress are broadly in line with national averages.
Progress for Specific Groups On-site evidence and published data review demonstrating that disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and social care pupils generally make suitable progress from their starting points. Analysis showing the progress of disadvantaged pupils is broadly in line with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.
5. Attendance and Behaviour
To meet the expected standard:
Informed Understanding & Strategies Discussions with leaders about their use of detailed data analysis to identify patterns, trends, and causes of poor attendance and behaviour (including bullying).
High Expectations & Consistent Application Observation of the school environment, lessons, and routines to confirm a calm, orderly, and respectful culture. Discussions with staff confirming they apply agreed rules and sanctions (including exclusion) consistently and appropriately.
Addressing Harmful Behaviour (Bullying/Violence) Discussions with pupils to confirm they feel confident reporting incidents. Review of records showing incidents of bullying, sexual harassment, and derogatory language are usually dealt with quickly and effectively.
Positive Pupil Conduct & Attitudes Lesson observations demonstrating pupils arrive punctually, settle quickly, and low-level disruption is uncommon. Evidence that pupils show positive attitudes to learning, motivation, and self-confidence.
Attendance Levels & Improving Absence Rates Review of attendance data to confirm overall attendance is broadly in line with national averages or shows an improving trend. Evidence of prompt action on absences. Evidence of multi-agency work to improve attendance for vulnerable pupils.
Targeted Interventions Documentation demonstrating that reasonable adjustments and targeted interventions for attendance and behaviour are timely, well chosen, and appropriate for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and young carers.
6. Personal Development and Well-being
To meet the expected standard:
Coherent Programme & SMSC Development Review of curriculum plans and observation of provision to ensure a broad, coherent personal development programme (including SMSC). Evidence that pupils reflect wisely, learn eagerly, and cooperate well.
RHE/RSHE Programme Review of the RHE/RSHE programme to ensure it is suitable, well-taught, meets statutory requirements, and covers topics like healthy relationships, online/offline risks (e.g., exploitation, radicalisation, substance misuse).
Understanding Diversity & Values Discussions with pupils confirming their understanding of, and respect for, protected characteristics and the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect/tolerance.
Enrichment Opportunities & Inclusive Participation Evidence that pupils have a range of suitable opportunities (arts, music, sport) that broaden their experiences. Review of participation tracking showing all groups, particularly disadvantaged/vulnerable pupils, can participate appropriately.
Careers Education & Gatsby Benchmarks Review of the careers programme to confirm it is preparing pupils for future education, employment, or training. Evidence that the school is making steady progress towards the Gatsby benchmarks.
Effective Pastoral Support & Pupil Access Discussions with leaders and pupils to confirm that pastoral support is well matched to needs and targeted at those requiring extra guidance. Evidence that pupils understand what support is available and access it when needed.
7. Early Years (in schools)
To meet the expected standard:
All Early Years Criteria N/A for typical mainstream secondary schools. If the school includes Early Years provision, inspectors would review EYFS statutory requirements adherence, curriculum sequencing, quality of teaching interactions, and evidence of children reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception.
8. Post-16 Provision (Where applicable - Sixth Form)
To meet the expected standard:
Accurate Understanding & Suitable Study Programme Discussions with leaders confirming an accurate understanding of provision strengths. Review of the 16-19 study programme to ensure it meets DfE guidance, includes appropriate qualifications, English/maths, RSHE, and non-qualification activities.
Achievement & Knowledge/Skills Review of published outcomes (where available) showing attainment and progress in national tests/examinations are broadly in line with national averages. On-site evidence (work/discussions) demonstrating students have age-appropriate knowledge and skills.
Readiness for Next Steps & Appropriate Destinations Review of destination data showing students are generally ready for the next step and proceed to destinations that meet their interests and aspirations. Evidence of partnerships with FE/HE institutions and employers.
Appropriate Adaptations (Inclusion) Evidence showing that adaptations to the curriculum or teaching for disadvantaged students, those with SEND, and others are appropriate and enable them to achieve well. Evidence that students are making appropriate progress from their starting points, especially where published data is unavailable (e.g., some SEND students).
9. Leadership and Governance
To meet the expected standard:
Contextual Understanding & Improvement Rationale Review of evaluation documents and discussions confirming leaders understand context, strengths, and weaknesses. Evidence that leaders have a clear rationale for improvement priorities and take appropriate, timely action.
Defined Vision & Ethos Evidence that leaders establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction, acting as role models of high expectations and professionalism. Confirmation that the school week meets the DfE minimum expectation (32.5 hours).
Support & Challenge (Governance) Review of governance documentation (e.g., minutes) to ensure governors/trustees support and challenge leaders appropriately. Evidence that governors hold leaders to account for provision for disadvantaged/SEND pupils.
Evidence-informed Professional Learning Review of the professional learning programme to confirm it is evidence-informed, high-quality, designed to build expertise, and includes opportunities for purposeful collaboration on the curriculum, teaching, and inclusivity.
Staff Well-being & Workload Discussions with leaders and staff to confirm leaders support well-being and ensure workload is manageable, avoiding unnecessary burdens. Evidence of systems protecting staff from bullying/harassment.
Constructive External Relationships Evidence that leaders and governors forge constructive relationships with parents and the wider community. Evidence of collaboration with other schools/organizations in a culture of mutual support and challenge.