School inspections are changing

Closes 26 Nov 2025

This service needs cookies enabled.

Section 5: Pre-inspection

 

 

 

Before an inspection takes place, HM Inspectors ask the school’s senior leadership team to complete a self-evaluation summary using selected quality indicators from How Good Is Our School? (4th Edition).

This summary highlights the school’s own view of what it does well, how it knows this and what it is working to improve. Schools are also asked to share pre-inspection questionnaires with learners, parents, staff, and partners. The responses go directly to the inspection team. These steps help inspectors understand the school’s context, performance, and the views of its community before their visit begins.

We would like your views on what happens in the time before an inspection takes place.

5.1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that the self-evaluation summary helps make sure that inspection starts with the school’s own view of its strengths and development areas?
5.2. To what extent do you agree or disagree that schools should be able to use existing documents – like their Standards and Quality Report and their School Improvement Plan – instead of writing a separate self-evaluation summary for inspection?
5.3. How important is it to gather views from each of the following groups before an inspection?