How Ofsted inspects your curriculum

Last reviewed on 29 August 2023
See updates
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 37734

Ofsted's 'quality of education' measure puts your curriculum in the spotlight. Understand how inspectors will judge your intent, implementation and impact, and the evidence they'll consider. Also see what's changed now that the transition period has ended.

Article tools

Contents

  1. The transition period ended in 2022, but Ofsted recognises your curriculum may still be changing
  2. You're expected to provide a 32.5-hour school week by September 2024 at the latest
  3. 3 central concepts: 'intent, implementation and impact'
  4. 3 elements of the inspection process
  5. What will come up in conversations about your curriculum 
  6. How inspectors will collect other evidence
  7. In a nutshell: what’s an 'outstanding' quality of education?
  8. Recap: 7 myths about the process, busted

The transition period ended in 2022, but Ofsted recognises your curriculum may still be changing

Ofsted ended its curriculum transition arrangements in September 2022. It previously put these arrangements in place to help schools transition to the 2019 Ofsted framework, and extended them due to the pandemic.

However, even though the transition period has ended, Ofsted recognises that schools are likely to always be revising elements of their curriculum.

The 'good' grade descriptor covering curriculum adaptations is still in place

The curriculum may undergo necessary changes (for example, following a review by senior leaders or to take account of COVID-19) and certain aspects may be more developed than others. Where this is the case, these changes do not prevent all pupils having access to an appropriately broad and

Read next

Also in 'Inspection criteria'