Ofsted Deep Dives Explained (and What Replaced Them)

How Do You Prepare Your School for Ofsted examinations?

Collaborative planning helps subject leaders align curriculum to school vision and national standards. Lesson observations and feedback let teachers improve teaching. Staff meetings allow leaders to share expertise and best curriculum practice.

As school leaders embark on the process of preparing for Ofsted examinations, adopt key strategies that ensure success and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the national curriculum. This process begins with helping subject leaders, who play a pivotal role in aligning curriculum content with both the school's vision and the requirements set forth by national standards. See also: Subject leadership in primary schools.

Subject leaders build cohesion, encouraging collaboration and open communication. This helps them develop effective curriculums (Fullan, 2007). The curriculums then support each learner's learning across all subjects.

Lesson observation is key for Ofsted readiness. It shows classroom teaching and learning. Regular feedback helps teachers improve their methods. This ensures lessons meet curriculum needs and helps build a supportive learning environment, a key factor identified by Hattie (2009).

Subject leads can share expertise in staff meetings. They should discuss problems and work together (Vygotsky, 1978). This ongoing dialogue on teaching helps learners (Bruner, 1966). It also allows staff to adapt their methods (Piaget, 1936; Dewey, 1938).

Secondary schools must adapt the curriculum for teenage learners. Content should challenge them and link to their interests (Willingham, 2009). Schools should expect questions and reflect to improve. This shows dedication to growth (Dweck, 2006; Hattie, 2008).

Subject leaders should collaborate for Ofsted success. Focus on lesson observation and know the national curriculum. Use research strategies and Ofsted's framework. Educators can confidently show high quality learning experiences.

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What are Ofsted examinations?

Ofsted's inspector training materials have been made publicly available. Originally designed as training materials, the inspection criteria for each subject is quite detailed and this has been summarised into crib sheets for the inspectors. Many school leaders are wondering why they are not given access to a version of this to help them better understand the process in the first place. The documents make interesting reading but shouldn't become the 'way' to run a school. These 'secret sheets' starting with English are summarised below and are intended to be used as a tool to help us think about our curriculum more effectively.

The points below will help your curriculum team think about the quality of education you deliver. If nothing else, it will provide an interesting framework for internal decisions about developing an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of your current learners. Explanations of both the primary and secondary education inspection framework are outlined below. It's refreshing to see an inspection methodology from a different perspective; whether you are due a 'visit' or not, these extracts will provide your leadership team with some food for thought.

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What Should Primary English Curriculum Content Include for Ofsted?

Learners must show clear progress in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Lessons should build knowledge in a systematic way, covering the national curriculum. Show how learners improve fluency, comprehension and vocabulary with different texts. Inspection readiness demands this.

A high-quality primary education provides younger-aged learners with the knowledge and skills they need for later success. The curriculum enables older KS2 learners to start to gain expertise in aspects of English language and literature

Contents and implications for primary school inspectors

• This document has been created to support inspectors undertaking a examination in English.
• It provides a high-level summary of stage two training and wider guidance.
• The six focus areas provide a structure to explain subject-level outcomes as identified by inspection activities.
• School leaders may not be able and should not be expected to articulate their intent as it is outlined in this aide-memoire or to provide documents, which neatly provide the evidence for the focus areas.

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How Should Schools Structure Their English Curriculum Subject for examinations?

Schools should structure their English curriculum with clear intent that outlines what learners will learn and why, supported by detailed implementation plans. The curriculum must show logical sequencing that builds knowledge progressively from early years through to key stage outcomes. Regular assessment points should demonstrate how the curriculum's impact is measured and monitored.

Scope

• Does the English curriculum enable novice learners to embed skills & knowledge in reading, writing and spoken language so that they can transition to experts?
• Does the curriculum priorities fluency in reading, writing and spoken language practices so
• Learners’ working are freed for more complex application?
• Do learners in the early stages of learning gain the foundational knowledge they need for future success?

Reading

• Is fluency in reading understood and prioritised?
• Does the curriculum provide the knowledge learners need to access rich texts (background/ content knowledge/ carefully chosen literary knowledge/ knowledge of meta-cognitive approaches)?
• Is enough emphasis placed on gaining strong vocabulary knowledge?
• Do learners read a wide enough range of texts (novels, plays, poetry)?

Writing

• Does the curriculum enable learners to become fluent in key transcriptional components and grammar so they become increasingly accurate writers?
• Do older learners compose writing in different forms/genres/ styles and for a range of purposes/audiences? Is there enough emphasis on narrative?
• Are meaningful connections made between reading and writing? Are models for writing rich and varied?

Spoken language

• Is sufficient focus placed on the underpinning spoken language knowledge required for later expertise in reading, writing and spoken language?
• Do plans break down the Y1 to 6 spoken language goals into smaller building blocks?
• Does the spoken language curriculum planning focus enough on vocabulary and grammatical component knowledge?

Components & sequencing

• Are decisions about what knowledge is best sequenced cumulatively and what is best sequenced hierarchically carefully considered?
• Does the curriculum build readiness for ambitious content, including complex texts, compositions and concepts?
• How effective are links between reading, writing and spoken language? Are such links planned coherently?

Memory

• What content is identified for memorisation and why?
• How does curriculum structure support memorisation, e.g. Through revisiting topics/chunking/ retrieval?
• How do learners who struggle with processing memorise the components necessary for complex actions, like writing and reading? Is extra practice prioritised?

Disciplinary rigour

• Do learners achieve high levels of automaticity in aspects of reading, writing and spoken language so their working memory is sufficient to: answer disciplinary questions, undertake key practices, make connections independently?
• Do teachers of younger learners use their disciplinary knowledge behind the scenes, e.g. In their questioning?

Early years

• Is communication and language given sufficient priority as the bedrock of future success in reading and writing and the means to acquire knowledge in a range of subjects?
• Are there high-quality interactions between adults and children with explicit teaching of vocabulary/ language structures as well as extension of language through discussion?
• Is story-time an important part of the curriculum? Are children immersed in a range of stories, poems, rhymes and nonfiction which develops their vocabulary & language comprehension and love of reading?

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What Teaching Methods Work Best for English Curriculum Pedagogy?

Explicitly teach English skills and give learners time to practice them. Use guided reading, shared writing and systematic phonics (Rose, 2006). Model often, then scaffold practice so learners build confidence (Vygotsky, 1978).

• Does teaching ensure learners learn subject-specific components, e.g. Through explicit explanations, guided practice and worked examples?
• What use is made of models and modelling? Do learners have enough underpinning knowledge to learn from them?
• Is phonics taught daily and directly from the start of Reception? Do approaches include the reversible principle of the phonics code (decoding to read and encoding to spell?)

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How Do You Assess Whether Your Curriculum Intent Is Working?

This informs curriculum refinements (Wiliam, 2011). Sadler (1989) noted assessment guides future learning. Black and Wiliam (1998) showed formative assessment helps learners progress. Curriculum impact improves when teachers analyse assessment data and adjust teaching.

• Does curriculum drive assessment or is it the other way round?
• Are gaps and misconceptions, including in phonics, identified? Are end-of-key stage assessment frameworks used appropriately? How are assessments moderated?

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How Do You Create a Positive Culture Around Your Intended Curriculum?

Schools build positive curriculum cultures when staff understand the vision via training and planning. Leaders should expect much from every learner and give teachers resources (DuFour, 2004). Open talk and shared curriculum ownership builds subject cohesion (Fullan, 2007; Hargreaves, 2003).

• How much enthusiasm and interest does the school generate in literary/dramatic arts, including learners’ own creative writing?
• How much emphasis does the school place on teachers’/adults’ language? Are expectations high enough in relation to vocabulary choices/standard English?
• Do learners who have gained the habit of reading have free choice or are they nudged into making better choices?

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What Systems Support Effective Curriculum Leadership in Schools?

Curriculum leaders need systems to check quality across subjects, (Robinson, 2007). Review lessons, learners' work, and data to track progress regularly, (Wiliam, 2011). Good communication lets subject leaders share effective methods, (Earl & Timperley, 2009).

• If there are mixed-age classes, is consideration given to ensuring that younger learners in the class do not repeat learning and/or can access learning?
• Do teachers access subject-specific training and guidance, including about subject-specific pedagogies? Do all teaching staff know about the teaching of phonics and do staff that teach phonics have enough expertise in it?
• Do links with secondary partner schools focus on English?
• How do they support effective transition?

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What Policies Should Curriculum Leaders Have in Place for Ofsted?

Curriculum leaders need clear policies. These should cover intent, strategies and impact for each subject. Policies must define roles in curriculum design, assessment and quality. Review policies regularly to meet current requirements (Stenhouse, 1975) and school goals (Tyler, 1949).

• How is the English curriculum overseen/ influenced and conceived of by teachers/leaders/governors?
• What is driving curriculum development?
• Do leaders of different aspects of English work with each other/phase leaders/other subject leaders on curriculum review and development?

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What Should Secondary English Curriculum Content Include for examinations?

English lessons in Key Stages 3 & 4 must show learners' growth in writing and analysis. Diverse texts should challenge learners, building skills. Curriculum links to exam requirements help learners succeed (Wiliam, 2010; Yorke, 2000).

A high-quality education in English combines language and literature, enabling learners to read as writers and write as readers. No opportunity lost for celebrating the joys of reading literature and finding out about how language works.

Literary studies:

• In KS3, are learners studying a wide enough range of literature (genre/form/heritage/world lit etc? Or do they only read GCSE texts (current and past)?
• Do learners have the background knowledge they need to comprehend literary texts?
• Does the curriculum ensure learners deepen their knowledge of literary concepts and how grammar shapes meaning?

Linguistics:

• Is the importance of standard English explained and understood. Including its origins?
• Do learners learn about etymology and the history of the language?
• How are connections made between linguistic knowledge and other domains?
• Do learners learn about the differences between written and spoken language?

Composition:

• What thought is given to texts used as models for learners’ own compositions? Are they rich?
• Is writing seen purely in terms of composites or are components embedded, e.g. Handwriting, spelling & grammar?
• Do learners develop the knowledge needed to evaluate and edit their own writing/their peers’?
• Do learners acquire syntactical knowledge, so their sentences clearly transmit complex meanings?

Rhetoric:

• Are plans clear about the components of effective written and spoken rhetoric and how learners will embed them?
• Do learners deepen and apply knowledge of rhetoric confidently in oral and written compositions?
• Do they get to read great speeches and learn how language can be utilised?

Reading:

• Is expertise within the department used to develop reading for pleasure across the school?
• Do practices ensure that learners’ reading habits evolve? Is enough focus placed on quality as well as quantity?
• Are barriers to reading properly understood and effectively tackled, including gaps in phonics?

Components & sequencing:

• Is hierarchical sequencing employed appropriately? Can the leader explain the rationale for it?
• How has the need to move learners from being novices to experts influenced the way content is organised & sequenced?
• Are threshold concepts sequenced so that learners are made ready for more complex ideas? How effectively are large, complex topics broken down?

Sixth Form:

• Do teachers have wide ranging and deep subject knowledge which they use to guide students in reading around the topic (inc. Other literary texts and seminal works of criticism)?
• Are exploratory approaches mediated through discussion and discursive written modes? Are these in the vein of academic literary criticism?
• Are aesthetic/experiential aspects explored alongside cultural theory/liberal humanist readings?

Memory:

• How is content for memorisation decided?
• Is memorisation tokenistic/ overly focussed on facts that have no relation to disciplinary traditions/concepts?
• What approaches are used to ensure key grammatical/ transcription components are memorised as well as tier 2 and 3 vocabulary?
• Is thought given to which disciplinary processes need to be automaticised and how to achieve this?

Disciplinary rigour:

• Does the curriculum enable learners to acquire critical practices, e.g. Debate different readings? Is scholastic thinking and writing modelled and practised?
• Can learners apply their knowledge to make interesting connections between domains?
• How are over-arching disciplinary ideas introduced and deepened?

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What Teaching Strategies Work Best in Secondary English Classrooms?

Good teaching blends whole class lessons with differentiated tasks. This supports each learner's unique needs (Vygotsky, 1978). Teachers should use discussions and group work to build analytical and communication skills (Mercer & Littleton, 2007). Spaced repetition helps learners remember information (Ebbinghaus, 1885).

• Do teachers have strong subject knowledge and pedagogical subject knowledge?
• What is the rationale for the activities chosen in lessons (fitness for purpose)?
• Are pedagogies generic or subject-specific? What is the warrant for subject-based pedagogies?
• How are key disciplinary modes, such as discussion/ debate used?

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How Do You Make Assessment Decisions About Curriculum Content?

Success criteria must clearly link curriculum aims and standards. Teachers should use varied assessments like feedback and tests, (Black & Wiliam, 1998), to check understanding. Analyse data to plan lessons and find areas to improve (Hattie, 2012).

• Do formative assessment practices identify if learners have learned key components, and whether the curri culum has defined them well enough?
• It is problematic to use end-of-key stage GCSE mark schemes to track progress.

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How Do You Set High Culture and Curriculum Expectations?

Researchers like Bloom (1968) found high expectations boost learner progress. School leaders should show high standards by applying rules fairly. Celebrate learner success, as Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) showed it matters. Monitor progress regularly across subjects, per Hattie (2009).

• Does the school view access to great written and spoken texts, such as famous speeches, as a matter of social justice?
• Does the school celebrate the aesthetic, experiential, emotional and knowledge-giving aspects of reading?
• Does the school support teachers' own reading (and where appropriate writing)?

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What Are the Key Curriculum Leadership Responsibilities in Schools?

Curriculum leaders ensure subjects meet national standards and mirror school values. They monitor teaching quality and assess learner progress, offering support to colleagues. Regular reports to senior leaders track curriculum effectiveness and pinpoint development areas.

• Is the school aware of subject-wide strengths and areas for development?
• Do departmental weaknesses have whole-school solutions or are there mechanisms for a more subject-specific responses?
• How do you go about developing curriculum plans?
• How well are staff supported in developing their own subject knowledge and subject pedagogical knowledge?

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How Should School Policy Support the English Curriculum?

English curriculum policy must clearly state expectations for literacy skills. It should detail assessment, intervention, and enrichment to aid learner progress. Regular reviews keep policy aligned with national needs and school improvements .

• How is the English curriculum overseen/ influenced and perceived by senior leaders/MAT leaders/ those in governance?
• Are the different aspects of the subject appreciated alongside its inherent value?
• How do whole-school structures like grouping/tracking/transition arrangements etc play out in English?

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What Key Terms Should Schools Know from the Education Inspection Framework?

Schools must grasp EIF terms: intent, implementation, and impact (Ofsted, 2019). Learn about cultural capital, knowledge types, and curriculum coherence. Staff knowledge of these terms aids inspection discussions.

Learners gain speed and accuracy by recalling facts easily (Anderson, 1983). Automaticity frees up working memory for complex thinking. Handwriting and punctuation need automatic practice (Berninger et al., 2006; Graham et al., 2008).

Components: The building blocks of knowledge or sub-skills that a learner needs to understand, store and recall from long-term memory in order to be successful in a complex task. See Automaticity.

Composites: The more complex knowledge which can be acquired or more complex tasks which can be undertaken when prior knowledge components are secure in a learner’s memory.

Cumulative dysfluency: Educational failure caused when learners do not have enough opportunities to recall knowledge to gain automaticity with the use of that knowledge. Over time this may cause many gaps in learners’ knowledge which prevent or limit learners’ acquisition of more complex knowledge.

Cumulative subjects, such as English literature or history, offer teachers content choices. Learners progress by adding to their knowledge. "Cumulative sufficiency" matters for curriculum quality in these subjects (Wheelahan, 2010). These contrast with hierarchical subjects (Young & Muller, 2010).

Sufficient curriculum content gives learners enough subject knowledge. This aids curriculum quality, particularly with many subject options.

Fluency means learners read quickly without sounding out words (automaticity). Accuracy, measured in correct words per minute, is also important. Prosody, or expressive reading with phrasing, completes fluency (Pikulski & Chard, 2005).

Deep structure (will include subject-specific examples): The different ways a principle can be applied that transcend specific examples. When a principle is first learned, it is used inflexibly as the ib learner profile: the 10 attributes explained for teachers will tie that knowledge to the particulars of the context in which the principle has been learned (the ‘surface structure’). As a learner gains expertise through familiarity with the principle and its applications, their knowledge is no longer organised around surface forms, but rather around deep structure. This means that experts can see how the deep structure applies to specific examples and that is an important goal of education.

Disciplinary knowledge: Methods and conceptual frameworks used by specialists in a given subject, e.g. Knowledge of history or geography as a discipline.

Expressive language: Refers to how your child uses words to express himself/herself.

Hierarchical subjects: Subjects where content has a clear hierarchical structure and there is often less debate about content choices than for cumulative subjects. This is because there are core components of knowledge that you must know in order to be able to progress within the subject. It would be hard to argue for a mathematics curriculum that didn’t include algebra or place value.

English is both hierarchical and cumulative (non-linear).

Long-term memory: Where knowledge is stored in integrated schema, ready for connecting to and for use without taking up working memory. See schema.

Phonics: The study of the relationship between the spoken and written language. Each letter or combination of letters represent a sound or sounds. The information is codified, as we must be able to recognise which symbols represent which sounds in order to read the language.

Progression model: The planned path from the learner’s current state of competence to the school’s intended manifestation of expertise.

Schema, plural schemata, are mental frameworks. They organise information categories and connections (Bartlett, 1932). Learners use schema to understand new experiences (Piaget, 1954). Schema develop and change as learners gain knowledge (Rumelhart, 1980).

Research demonstrates the importance of subject knowledge (SK) (Shulman, 1986). SK includes key concepts within a subject, like maths or history. It informs the effective teaching and assessment of each learner (Willingham, 2009; Christodoulou, 2014).

Understanding: We are using the cognitivist model in which understanding describes learners’ interconnected knowledge e.g. Of facts, concepts and procedures in maths. Understanding describes a certain schematic pattern of knowledge and is not qualitatively different from knowledge. Mental schemata can be viewed as network node diagrams, where nodes represent knowledge (facts, concepts, processes, features) and arcs the relationships between them.

Understanding in this model is a function of the quantity of appropriate nodes and the quantity of appropriate arcs, more knowledge, and more connections between them leads to more understanding. A knowledge schema can always be developed further and this is synonymous with deepening understanding. For more on this topic, see Maths deep dive questions. In this sense a curriculum plan articulates the degree of understanding intended.

In everyday life, the question ‘do you understand?’ invites a binary yes/no response. This implies that understanding is something that is finite and can be possessed absolutely. This is incorrect and leads us into many traps, such as trying to ‘teach for understanding’ as an absolute when understanding can be viewed as a continuum and the nature and degree of understanding sought should be part of a teacher’s articulated curricular intent.

Working(short-term) memory: Where conscious processing or ‘thoughts’ occur. Limited to holding four to seven items of information for up to around 30 seconds at a time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What exactly are Ofsted examinations and how do they differ from traditional inspections?

Ofsted inspections check subjects closely. Inspectors review curriculum intent, implementation, and impact. They speak with subject leaders about sequencing and learner recall. Inspectors look for learning evidence using Ofsted criteria.

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What are the six focus areas that Ofsted inspectors look for during examinations?

Ofsted uses six focus areas to check subject quality (inspection materials). Inspectors use these areas to assess if learning is ambitious. Evidence does not need to fit these categories neatly. Schools can use these areas to develop curriculum (Ofsted, leaked materials).

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How should subject leaders prepare to articulate curriculum intent and sequencing during a examination conversation?

Help subject leaders connect curriculum content with school vision and national standards through team planning. They must show understanding of knowledge building and discuss how assessments measure impact (Wiliam, 2011). Leaders should prepare for deep-dive questions and reflect on curriculum effectiveness (Earl & Timperley, 2008).

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Why do Ofsted inspectors focus on how learners memorise content, and what does this reveal about curriculum effectiveness?

Inspectors check memory retention. It shows if learners embed knowledge and progress (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001). Memory focus checks curriculum fluency (Sweller, 1988). This assesses foundational knowledge for learners' future success (Willingham, 2009).

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What specific elements should a primary English curriculum include to meet Ofsted examination expectations?

The primary English curriculum needs clear reading, writing, speaking and listening progression. Learning goals must be ambitious, lessons well-sequenced. Show how learners build fluency, comprehension and vocabulary across texts (e.g. Cox, 1991; Wyse, 2006). Prioritise knowledge, vocabulary, and diverse texts, as suggested by Rosenblatt (1978) and Halliday (2004).

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How can schools use lesson observations and staff meetings to prepare effectively for examinations?

Lesson observations give targeted feedback, helping teachers improve teaching and meet curriculum goals. Subject leaders should share knowledge and discuss issues at meetings, working together on curriculum. This supports improvement and creates teamwork (Hattie, 2012).

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What are the potential risks of schools focusing too heavily on the leaked Ofsted inspection materials?

The article warns that whilst the leaked 'secret sheets' provide interesting insights into inspection criteria, they shouldn't become the primary way to run a school. These materials should be used as a tool to think about curriculum effectiveness rather than as a rigid framework to follow. Schools should focus on developing an ambitious curriculum that meets their current learners' needs rather than simply trying to tick inspection boxes.

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Evaluate Your School Against EEF Standards

Consider an evaluation framework with eight domains and 40 indicators, drawing on the school effectiveness research tradition (Creemers, 1994; Sammons, 1999; Mortimore, 1993) and informed by the Education Endowment Foundation's contemporary guidance. This helps find strengths and areas needing improvement. Focus on evidence-based school improvement for the learner.

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