Ofsted Questions

Tell me about your curriculum.

What are the school's strengths in teaching _______? How do you know?

How do you know there is a consistent approach to the delivery of the ___________ curriculum across the school?

Are all teachers following the curriculum with fidelity and are all key concepts being covered? How do you know?

Is there a whole school progressive and sequential plan? How has this been planned? Who takes ownership of all this?

Can you give an example of how the curriculum builds on children’s knowledge and skills?

Why have you planned the (subject) curriculum in this way, what choices have been made and why?

How have you ensured it is relevant to your pupils? Why is this right for your school/children?

How do you know if what has been planned is being taught?

If I go into a (subject) lesson in any year group in this school, what should I expect to see? Are there any inconsistencies? Do teachers understand how to put lessons together effectively and with maximum effect? How do you know?

How are children doing in (subject) this term? How do you know?

How does the (subject) curriculum in Y4 build on that of Y3? How does it prepare pupils for Y5?

How are you checking what pupils have learnt and remembered? How do you check prior learning to know where gaps in knowledge are? What do teachers do about these gaps? If intervention takes place, what are pupils missing? i.e., when is this and how do you know it does not create further gaps?

Are all pupils working within curriculum expectations? How do you know children are working within curriculum expectations? How does your curriculum meet the needs of the children at your school? If over time pupils continue to require support and adaptations to work within curriculum expectations, what does this mean?

Have you formulated a rationale about why your subject is important and about the curriculum in their subject(s)? Have you thought of how this links to the subject content you have selected to be taught?

What will students take away from your subject when they stop studying it?