The questions Ofsted might ask you and your team

A practical guide to the questions your setting can expect during your inspection, from The Call to the eight evaluation areas.

Whether it's your first or your twenty-first, feeling confident and prepared can take the nerves out of a visit from Ofsted. Luckily, there's plenty of reseources to help de-mystify the process for Early Years settings.

• Ofsted's own Early Years Inspection Toolkit
• Advice from nurseries who've been through the inspection process
• Explanation of recent changes to the way Ofsted inspects Early Years settings. This is especially useful if you haven't been inspected since before September 2025.

And, of course, guides like this one.

While we do have a complete guide to Ofsted inspections, this shorter pack of questions is perfect for keeping on top of practice, policies, and procedures, and getting comfortable with talking confidently about what you know. Early Years veterans will all know that feeling of knowing your setting inside-out, but suddenly going blank when the inspector asks a question!

Of course, giving the right answers won't get you through the inspection alone. You'll need to show the high-quality practice to back up what you're saying too. But getting comfortable with explaining what you do and why you do it, can help even the newest members of the team feel ready for the big day.

This question pack contains questions you might receive on The Call, as well as about:

• Leadership and management
• Curriculum and teaching
• Achievement
• Behaviour, attitudes & routines
• Children’s welfare and well-being
• Inclusion
• Safeguarding
• What documents Ofsted will ask to see