The Ofsted Call: What to Do in the First 90 Minutes
You've just taken the call. Inspection is tomorrow. Here's the calm, sequenced 90-minute plan that gets your setting ready without panicking the team.
The Ofsted call almost always comes between 9:30 and 12:30 the day before inspection. Under the current Education Inspection Framework (EIF), you have roughly a working afternoon to get your paperwork, your team and your headspace in order.
The mistake most managers make is to try to do everything. You can't. Here is the 90-minute sequence that actually works.
Minutes 0–15: capture, don't scramble
- Write down the inspector's name, arrival time and the notice-period details
- Ask which sample of children they'd like SEND, safeguarding and progress info for
- Do not start ringing staff yet — you'll forget half of what was said
Minutes 15–45: the safeguarding pull
Safeguarding is the single limiting judgement. Get these in one folder, in this order:
- Single Central Record — check every column is complete for every adult on site
- DSL and deputy DSL certificates, dated within two years
- Prevent, Safer Recruitment and KCSIE 2025 training logs
- Two recent safeguarding concerns with a clear timeline and outcome
- Whistleblowing policy with the LADO number visible
If any column on the SCR is blank, fix it before anything else on this list.
Minutes 45–70: the learning story
Pick three key children the inspector is likely to track — one SEND, one EAL or disadvantaged, one typically developing — and make sure each has:
- A baseline on entry
- Two-year progress check (if aged 2–3)
- Current next steps written in plain English, not jargon
- One recent observation the key person can talk about from memory
You are not fabricating evidence. You are making sure the story is easy to find.
Minutes 70–90: the team huddle
Bring the team together for 10 minutes, no longer. Cover:
- The inspector's name and arrival window
- The three key children they'll follow
- The one message you want every staff member to be able to say ("We know our children, we plan for their next steps, and safeguarding is everyone's job")
- Who covers the door, who covers lunch, who covers the manager if you're pulled into an interview
You already do the work. Tomorrow is just about showing it clearly.
Tonight — protect the evening
Go home at your normal time. An exhausted manager is a worse manager tomorrow. The paperwork you didn't do in 90 minutes is paperwork the inspector wasn't going to ask for anyway.
