OFSTED deep dive questions: A Teacher's Guide
Discover key OFSTED deep dive questions to help teachers strengthen curriculum planning, improve subject delivery, and prepare confidently for inspections.
What are Ofsted examination questions?
An inspection is an opportunity to clarify exactly what and how a school curriculum is delivered. It is as much for the school as it is for accountability measures (putting a positive spin on the experience!). There's a lot more to an inspection than a simple lesson observation and a chat with the curriculum leaders. An OFSTED inspector will expect to see how curriculum subjects are organised and delivered. The recent examination in school documents gave school leaders insight into what questions inspectors will ask and what type of knowledge they are looking for. In this article, we provide some extracts of what this looks like in practice. If nothing else, the questions can be used in staff meetings to help clarify how the curriculum is designed and delivered. The prompts below are an interesting reflection tool for discussions about effective learning and in this case, are solely focused on an English subject examination.
Key Takeaways
- OFSTED deep dives fundamentally scrutinise the coherence and clarity of a school's curriculum intent and its practical implementation. Schools must articulate precisely what pupils are expected to learn and why, demonstrating how this 'powerful knowledge' is sequenced and delivered effectively across subjects (Counsell, 2018). This requires teachers to clearly explain the rationale behind their curriculum choices and how these translate into classroom practice.
- Effective preparation for OFSTED deep dives necessitates a robust understanding and application of cognitive science principles to secure pupils' long-term learning and memory. Inspectors will expect to see how teaching strategies are informed by research on how the mind works, such as retrieval practice, spaced learning, and interleaving, to ensure knowledge sticks (Willingham, 2009). This moves beyond surface-level engagement to evidence of deep, durable learning.
- A deep understanding of pupil progress, central to OFSTED's evaluation, hinges on the consistent and effective use of formative assessment strategies. Schools must demonstrate how ongoing assessment is embedded in daily teaching to identify learning gaps and inform next steps, rather than solely relying on summative data (Black & Wiliam, 1998). This ensures that teachers can articulate how they know pupils are making progress and what interventions are in place.
- Schools must actively evaluate their curriculum and pedagogical approaches against established evidence-based standards to demonstrate effectiveness and continuous improvement. Utilising frameworks such as those promoted by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) allows schools to justify their choices with research, ensuring that teaching and learning strategies are demonstrably impactful for all pupils (Coe et al., 2014). This proactive self-evaluation strengthens a school's narrative during an inspection.
The school's understanding of progress in English
The curriculum for novices in English enables pupils to gain fluency in key practices which are essential for later success.
How does the school understand what it means 'to get better' (progression) in the subject and does the school give meaningful attention to all categories of progression in English? Is the scope commensurate with that outlined in the National Curriculum?
Curriculum Intent and curriculum impact questions
- Does the curriculum enable pupils in early stages of learning to become fluent in key practices in R,W,SL?
- Does the school ensure pupils have the expanding knowledge they need to decode what they read?
- Is reading fluency understood & prioritised?
- Does the school ensure pupils have the wide-ranging knowledge they need to comprehend what they read?
- Do pupils gain the vocabulary knowledge they need to comprehend what they read?
- Does the school ensure wide-ranging and expanding knowledge of transcription in writing?
- How do pupils gain expertise in key transcription elements such as handwriting and spelling, so they are increasingly accurate writers?
- How do you ensure transcriptional errors are not repeated?
- How is punctuation taught?
- Does the planned curriculum ensure wide-ranging and expanding knowledge of composition in writing, including grammar and vocabulary?
- Do older pupils compose writing in different forms/genres/styles and for a range of purposes/audiences?
- Does the KS2 curriculum enable pupils to get better at analysing texts and making connections between and within the texts they read?
- How do you encourage pupils to read as writers and write as readers?
- Show me a curriculum example where specific English content is sequenced to enable pupils to be 'ready' for something more complex.
- When you think about pupils' endpoints, how do you define them for R, W and SL?
- Show me how your curriculum prepares pupils for a particular unit of work through the knowledge that came before it.
- How do you as a school go about agreeing which specific knowledge (ideas, concepts, vocabulary, etc) pupils absolutely need to know within each topic you teach?
- Which particular knowledge within your curriculum is emphasised to build pupils' conceptual understanding over time?
- How does curriculum enable memorisation, e.g. Through revisiting topics/chunking/retrieval/low-stakes quizzes?
- How does the curriculum enable pupils who have gaps to memorise the knowledge they need to catch up quickly, e.g. Phonics knowledge?
- English curriculum in early years
- Leaders prioritise children's communication and language development as it is the bedrock of future success in reading, writing and the acquisition of knowledge in a range of subjects.
- Leaders/teachers/adults have a well-developed understanding of how to develop children's expressive and receptive language (see glossary). For instance, ensuring high-quality interactions between adults and children; explicit teaching of vocabulary; modelling language; providing opportunities to practise; offering rich experiences to develop background knowledge.
- How does the curriculum support children to develop their attention and listening skills?
- How does the curriculum ensure that all children, including those with SEND, have access to rich language experiences?
- How do leaders ensure an inclusive approach that maintains high expectations while providing appropriate support?
- What strategies are used to maintain pupil engagement during direct teaching of phonics and early reading skills?
- How does the school's approach to lesson planning ensure that all pupils can access the ambitious curriculum?
- What role does understanding of memory play in how teachers sequence and deliver content?
- How do teachers use knowledge of motivation to ensure pupils remain committed to learning challenging content?
How Do OFSTED Inspectors Assess Learning and Memory in English?
Inspectors examine how schools help pupils remember and apply English knowledge over time through curriculum design and teaching approaches. They look for evidence of spaced practice, retrieval activities, and how key concepts are revisited to strengthen long-term re tention. Schools should demonstrate how their English curriculum builds memory through carefully planned sequences that connect new learning to prior knowledge.
The curriculum is planned so that essential knowledge is prioritised. For instance, more time may be spent on it, including time checking it has been embedded. This knowledge is introduced sequentially and revisited so it can be memorised. See 2a to 2d for details of this component knowledge.
This requires pupils to receive information in manageable chunks. For example, in phonics sessions, pupils are given daily opportunities to practise using and applying their learning. They may be asked to read and write graphemes, words or sentences using taught GPCs.
NB: In upper KS2, knowledge is built more cumulatively (less linear) through links and connections. It does not always need automatising in the same way as reading and literacy knowledge in KS1.
Show me which bits of your curriculum (like concepts, ideas, vocabulary, etc.) are really crucial to re-visit so that they are able to build further knowledge.
Curriculum Intent and curriculum impact questions
Schools must demonstrate a clear understanding of how pupils develop reading fluency, comprehension, and writing skills over time. This involves showing inspectors evidence of systematic phonics teaching in early years, progression in reading comprehension strategies, and how writing skills build from basic sentence construction to complex text creation.
Inspectors will examine how the school tracks individual pupil progress against age-related expectations, particularly for pupils who may be falling behind. They want to see evidence that teachers understand the cognitive load theory in English teaching - how pupils process new vocabulary, grammatical structures, and text features without becoming overwhelmed. OFSTED inspectors expect schools to demonstrate how they sequence learning to build pupils' knowledge systematically, ensuring that foundational skills in phonics and basic comprehension support more complex analytical writing later on.
The school should be able to articulate how they address common misconceptions in English, such as pupils who can decode but struggle with comprehension, or those who have creative ideas but lack the technical skills to express them effectively. Evidence might include intervention programmes, targeted support strategies, and how the curriculum is adapted for pupils with different starting points. During examination questions, inspectors may ask how teachers identify when pupils are ready to move from guided to independent reading, or how the school ensures that pupils retain and apply grammar knowledge across different writing contexts.
How to Prepare for OFSTED examinations: A Practical Guide
Successful preparation for OFSTED examinations begins with understanding your subject's progression model and being able to articulate how knowledge builds over time. Subject leaders should create clear documentation showing how concepts develop from early years through to key stage outcomes, ensuring every teacher can explain the rationale behind curriculum sequencing. This preparation extends beyond paperwork; teachers must genuinely understand why topics are taught in a particular order and how each lesson contributes to pupils' long-term learning journey.
Rosenshine's principles of instruction emphasise the importance of retrieval practice and spaced repetition, concepts that OFSTED inspectors frequently explore during examinations. Teachers should be prepared to demonstrate how they help pupils retain and connect knowledge across lessons, whether through starter activities, knowledge organisers, or regular low-stakes testing. Inspectors often ask pupils to explain what they learned weeks or months ago, so embedding systematic review into daily practice is essential.
Finally, focus on the learning, not the teaching when preparing responses to inspector questions. Rather than describing activities or resources, emphasise how pupils' understanding develops and what evidence demonstrates their progress. Practice explaining your subject's key concepts using precise vocabulary, and ensure teaching assistants and support staff understand the curriculum rationale too, as inspectors may speak with anyone during the examination process.
Subject-Specific examination Questions and Focus Areas
While examination methodologies share common principles across all subjects, OFSTED inspectors adapt their questioning and focus areas to reflect the unique characteristics of each curriculum area. In mathematics, inspectors typically examine how pupils develop fluency in number facts and mathematical procedures, often drawing on research such as cognitive load theory to understand how new concepts build upon previously mastered foundations. Science examinations frequently focus on practical work and how pupils develop their understanding of scientific methods, whilst history inspections examine how pupils construct chronological understanding and analyse historical sources.
Subject leaders should prepare for questions that probe the sequential nature of learning within their discipline. For instance, in modern foreign languages, inspectors might ask how phonics teaching supports pronunciation and reading, or how vocabulary is systematically built across year groups. In design and technology, the focus often shifts to how pupils apply knowledge from other subjects and develop practical skills progressively. Mathematics examinations commonly explore how pupils move from concrete manipulatives to abstract thinking, reflecting research on conceptual understanding.
The most effective preparation involves mapping your subject's learning progression and identifying key threshold concepts that pupils must master before advancing. Consider how assessment practices in your subject reveal genuine understanding rather than surface learning, and be prepared to demonstrate how curriculum design addresses the specific challenges and misconceptions common to your discipline.
The examination Process: What Actually Happens
The examination process typically unfolds over several hours during an OFSTED inspection, beginning with a 30-minute discussion between inspectors and subject leaders. This initial conversation focuses on curriculum intent, implementation strategies, and how leaders monitor pupil progress across different groups. Inspectors will ask probing questions about curriculum sequencing, assessment approaches, and how the subject contributes to pupils' broader educational development.
Following the leadership discussion, inspectors conduct lesson observations and learning walks, spending approximately 20-30 minutes in each classroom. During these visits, they observe teaching practices, examine pupils' work in books or digital portfolios, and engage in brief conversations with learners about their understanding. Inspectors are not grading individual lessons but rather gathering evidence about curriculum implementation and its impact on learning over time.
The process concludes with inspectors reviewing additional evidence such as assessment data, curriculum documentation, and samples of work from different year groups and ability ranges. They may also conduct brief discussions with teaching staff to clarify observations or explore specific aspects of curriculum delivery. Subject leaders should prepare by ensuring documentation clearly demonstrates curriculum progression and having examples readily available that showcase how their subject develops pupils' knowledge and skills systematically across key stages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Ofsted deep dive in a primary school?
An Ofsted deep dive is a focused evaluation of a specific subject to assess the quality of education. It involves inspectors talking to subject leaders, visiting lessons, looking at work, and speaking to pupils. The goal is to see how well the curriculum is organised and if learners are remembering what they have been taught.
How do teachers prepare for English deep dive questions?
Teachers prepare by ensuring they can explain why specific topics are taught in a particular order. It is helpful to have examples of how prior learning supports new concepts and how the school supports pupils who fall behind. Practical evidence from workbooks and conversations with learners forms the basis of the evaluation.
What does the research say about curriculum sequencing?
Research suggests that learning is most effective when new information is connected to existing knowledge. Inspectors look for a sequence that allows pupils to build on what they already know, moving from simple decoding to complex comprehension. A logical progression ensures that children do not face cognitive overload while they practise new skills.
What are common mistakes schools make during a deep dive?
A frequent mistake is focusing too much on individual lesson performances instead of the overall sequence of learning. Schools sometimes struggle when subject leaders cannot explain the rationale behind their curriculum choices or how they monitor the impact on pupil outcomes. Another issue is having a curriculum that looks good on paper but does not match what pupils actually know.
What questions does Ofsted ask about SEND during a deep dive?
Inspectors often ask how the curriculum remains ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. They want to see how teachers adapt their delivery to ensure these learners can access the same core knowledge as their peers. You might be asked to show how specific scaffolds or interventions help SEND pupils make progress toward the same endpoints.
Why does Ofsted focus on early years phonics during an inspection?
Early reading is considered the bedrock of the entire curriculum, so inspectors prioritise checking how well phonics is taught from the start. They want to ensure that the youngest learners are gaining the decoding skills needed to become fluent readers. Inspectors will look at how the school identifies children at risk of falling behind and what immediate support is provided to help them catch up.
Evidence and Documentation: What Inspectors Look For
OFSTED inspectors gather evidence through multiple sources during examinations, focusing on the coherence between curriculum intent, implementation, and impact. They examine planning documents, assessment records, and pupils' work samples to understand how knowledge builds progressively over time. Inspectors particularly value evidence that demonstrates cognitive progression rather than simply task completion, looking for clear indicators of how pupils' understanding deepens across key concepts.
Effective documentation should tell a clear story about pupil learning journeys. Inspectors appreciate organised evidence that shows deliberate curriculum sequencing, where prior learning connects meaningfully to new concepts. This includes examples of how teachers address misconceptions, adapt instruction based on assessment outcomes, and ensure knowledge transfers to long-term memory. Work samples spanning different time periods prove particularly valuable in demonstrating sustained progress.
Schools should organise evidence systematically, ensuring documentation reflects authentic classroom practice rather than manufactured displays. Quality trumps quantity when presenting evidence to inspectors. Focus on curating examples that genuinely illustrate curriculum impact, including honest reflections on areas for development. Remember that inspectors value transparency and professional dialogue about challenges faced, as this demonstrates reflective practice and commitment to continuous improvement.
Evaluate Your School Against EEF Standards
Rate your school across eight domains and 40 indicators to identify strengths and priority areas for evidence-based improvement.
Further Reading: Key Research on Curriculum Quality and Inspection
These peer-reviewed papers and evidence-based resources provide deeper insight into the research discussed in this article.
Education inspection framework View study ↗
567 citations
Ofsted (2019)
The framework that introduced deep dives as an inspection methodology. Deep dives examine curriculum intent, implementation, and impact through lesson visits, work scrutiny, and conversations with leaders, teachers, and pupils in selected subjects.
What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research View study ↗
2345 citations
Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S. & Major, L.E. (2014)
Coe and colleagues identified six components of great teaching. Their finding that pedagogical content knowledge matters more than classroom management or climate directly informs the Ofsted deep dive focus on subject-specific curriculum quality.
Research review series: The curriculum View study ↗
456 citations
Ofsted (2021)
Subject-specific research reviews providing the evidence base for Ofsted inspectors conducting deep dives. Each review identifies what high-quality curriculum looks like in a specific subject, giving schools a benchmark for self-evaluation before inspection.
Cognitive load theory in practice: Examples for the classroom View study ↗
345 citations
Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (2018)
This practical guide connects cognitive load theory to curriculum sequencing, directly relevant to Ofsted's focus on "ambitious, coherently planned and sequenced" curriculum. Deep dive conversations often probe whether curriculum builds knowledge incrementally.
Curriculum-led financial planning View study ↗
123 citations
Department for Education (2020)
DfE guidance showing how curriculum intent should drive resource allocation. For deep dive preparation, schools that can demonstrate alignment between curriculum priorities and resource decisions strengthen their position in leadership discussions with inspectors.
