Ofsted Pre-Inspection Checklist

Fully aligned to the 2025 Ofsted School Inspection Toolkit

An upcoming Ofsted inspection can feel overwhelming, but starting with the right questions helps you understand where you stand. ThisOfsted Pre-Inspection Action Checklist is designed as a thinking tool to help headteachers and senior leaders consider the inspection preparation process, working through every evaluation area systematically to identify where you’re confident and where you need further exploration and evidence.

Use this checklist in SLT meetings to prompt honest conversations about your school’s readiness. Rather than providing all the answers, it gives you a comprehensive starting point across all eight evaluation areas of the 2025 School Inspection Toolkit, plus other inspection considerations, helping you figure out which areas are strong and which require deeper investigation or additional support.