This is the risk assessment process that Ofsted uses to assist in scheduling for inspections of good primary and secondary state-funded schools.

Applies to England

Documents

Risk assessment methodology for good state-funded schools

HTML

Details

Ofsted uses statistical models to make sure that we are allocating our inspection resources where they are needed most. This is known as our risk assessment process. We look at published data about each provider together with a wide range of information to give us a selection of providers that we will inspect that year.

This process is not used to pre-judge inspection outcomes; inspectors do not have access to the risk assessments when they are inspecting providers.

You can find out more about our approach in the school inspection handbook.

You can also read a blog about our approach to risk assessing good and outstanding schools.

Published 27 September 2019
Last updated 2 November 2021 + show all updates

  1. The title has been updated to reflect the removal of the inspection exemption for outstanding schools. The methodology has also been updated to account for the pause in routine inspection during the pandemic.

  2. First published.