• Find an adult learning and skills inspection report
• Understanding an adult learning and skills inspection report
• Types of adult learning and skills Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting adult learning and skills
  • Inspecting further education and skills
    • Before a further education and skills inspection
      • The self-assessment report for further education and skills
    • During a further education and skills inspection
    • After a further education and skills inspection
    • Main inspection documents for inspectors
  • Inspecting residential provision in colleges
  • Inspecting welfare and duty of care in Armed Services' training
  • Inspecting initial teacher education
• Safeguarding children and young people
• About our survey reports
• How to complain

Before a further education and skills inspection

Inspection can happen at any time and all providers need to be inspection ready. This is best achieved by making sure good management and quality improvement is part of day to day working. 

Before an inspection providers need to: 

• select a nominee - see further information on The role of the nominee
• decide who should be at the telephone planning meeting
• put a summary update to the most recent self-assessment report on the Ofsted portal (if needed)
• select a learner representative/s
• let learners and employers know about the inspection and distribute Ofsted’s flyer and poster
• tell learners and employers about the email address so they can give their views directly to inspectors by the agreed deadline
• tell staff and partners about their role during inspection
• identify suitable base rooms for inspectors as agreed at the planning meeting
• check that the documents listed in the handbook are ready to put on the Ofsted portal
• agree lead inspector’s planning meeting notes
• arrange a draft schedule of key meetings and visits for inspectors, as agreed at the planning meeting
• receive the pre-inspection briefing from the lead inspector
• check the information for inspectors about activities and provision during the inspection week
• inform learners and employers selected for visits by inspectors as agreed at the planning meeting
• check learners and employers know how to feed their views to inspectors via email or written note in the period up to the first day of inspection
• put in-year performance data on Ofsted portal
• prepare initial presentation to update inspectors on the current provision
• identify senior members of staff to carry out joint observations of learning activities with inspectors, where appropriate
• have additional learners and employers on standby for visits from inspectors, if needed
• identify and brief learners who will have contact with inspectors
• make sure key documents are in the inspectors’ base room
• put together up-to-date learner information. How many learners are in each location and subject area? What are their timetables or schedule of activities during the week of inspection?
• Inspectors will refer to Common Inspection Framework for further education and skills 2012 when making judgements. Subject areas for inspection and grading will be chosen by the following criteria:
  • previous inspection grades (where available)
  • self-assessment grades
  • outcomes for learners
  • vulnerability of learners
  • a fair coverage across the provider
  • coverage of subject areas across all inspections.