Ofsted Talks
Episodes
Apprentices in action: what we found on the inspection of the National Grid under the renewed inspection framework
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke to Dan Tingle from the National Grid about how he found the recent inspection under the renewed framework, Joel Dalhouse the lead inspector, ...
Renewed Education Inspections
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Want to know more about Ofsted's renewed education inspections? In this episode, Lee Owston (National Director, Education), Lee Elliott (Assistant Reg...
All about apprenticeships
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking about becoming an apprentice? Is someone you know looking to their future? In this episode we look at apprenticeships, focusing on the North ...
Getting it right from the start
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, colleagues from the National Day Nurseries Association join Ofsted to discuss the report into the importance of the first two years o...
Improving the way Ofsted inspects education
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Would you like to learn more about our proposed new report cards, or how we’ll inspect inclusion? Ofsted is consulting on changes to our education i...
Preparation for adulthood
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What's the picture of local areas and how well they are working to prepare children and young people with special educational needs for adulthood? Wha...
Serious youth violence: not just a 'city problem'
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted's report into multi-agency responses to serious youth violence: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multi-agency-responses-to-serious-yo...
Young Offender Institutions: a decade of decline
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's the report discussed in this episode of the podcast: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thematic-review-of-the-quality-of-education-in-...
Good decisions: children with complex needs in children’s homes
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Host Mark Leech listens in to Lisa Pascoe, deputy director (regulation and social care policy), Helen Humphries (specialist adviser for residential ca...
Ofsted Big Listen
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mark Leech (Deputy Director, Communications) speaks with Wendy Ratcliff (HMI, Early Education), Dan Lambert (SHMI, Schools) and His M...
Alternative route: what's the picture of alternative provision?
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Briony Balsom  Hello, welcome to Ofsted Talks. I'm Briony Balsom, and today we're talking about alternative provision. Firstly, let me welcome our g...
Ofsted's English subject report: telling this story
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Mark Leech, Deputy Director of Communications, talks to Kirsty Godfrey, Senior HMI, and Zoe Enser, HMI, about Ofsted's recently publis...
Supported accommodation: how we listened
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted will inspect supported accommodation from September 2024. To support this work, we carried out a consultation where we not only received respon...
Introducing Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty's Chief Inspector
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Briony Balsom (Head of Internal Insights) talks to our new HMCI, Sir Martyn Oliver. Transcript Briony: Hello, I’m Briony Balsom a...
Building a great curriculum in further education and skills
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we're talking to two further education and skills leads from Ofsted about the FES curriculum and what it means for students and teach...
In conversation with the MoD on Ofsted’s ’Welfare and duty of care in Armed Forces initial training’report
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mark Leech (Director, Strategy and Engagement) talks to Paul Joyce (Deputy Director, Further Education and Skills), Helen Flint (Spec...
Further education and skills: Are colleges meeting skills needs?
09 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mark Leech (Director of Strategy and Engagement) talks to Richard Beynon (Senior HMI, FES Policy) and Kate Hill (Specialist Adviser, ...
T levels: making a difference to UK plc?
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In mid 2023, Ofsted published a report into T levels: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-level-thematic-review-final-report Here we hear fro...
Careers: are young people getting the information, advice and guidance they need?
23 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are young people getting the #careers information, advice and guidance they need? Listen here to our podcast on careers with thanks to Nicola Hall, Ca...
Best start in life part 2: Ofsted’s early years research review series
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Shreena Kotecha (Head of Strategy) talks to Lee Owston (Deputy Director, Schools and Early Education) and Wendy Ratcliff (Principal O...
Ofsted’s new subject reports: geography, PE and music
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the common strengths and weaknesses we identified in how a sample of schools teach geography, PE and music? Ofsted has published three new su...
Raising standards in supported accommodation
21 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Mark Leech (Acting Director, Strategy and Engagement) talks to Matthew Brazier (Project Director, Supported Accommodation) and Rachel...
Back to school: updates from Ofsted September ’23
11 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As schools return and settle into the new academic year, host Shreena Kotecha talks to Lee Owston, Ofsted’s deputy director of schools and education...
Consultation on post-inspection arrangements and complaints handling
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted has launched a consultation on proposed changes to our post-inspection arrangements and complaints handling, closing on Friday 15 September 202...
The best start in life: early years and Ofsted’s strategy
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of Ofsted's key strategic priorities acknowledges the relationship between early childhood experiences and a range of life outcomes, from educatio...
Further education and skills - at the Festival of Education 2023
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the talks from our FES team at this year's Festival of Education which was held at Wellington College in July. Â SPEAKERS Becca Clare, Martin ...
Ofsted’s review of tutoring in schools
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We published an independent research report into our findings about the tutoring programme in October 22, and we will be publishing a follow-up in the...
Improving how we work with schools
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted has published a package of measures to improve how we work with schools. Hosts Anna Trethewey and Chris Jones discuss the changes. Â Anna Tret...
Art and Design Research Review: the launch at the Victoria and Albert Museum
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We were lucky enough to be able to welcome guests from the world of art education to the Victoria and Albert museum to launch our Art and Design Resea...
Prison education: giving people a vision of what life could be
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We spoke to Charlie Taylor, His Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Femi from the Prison Reform Trust and Tracy from Keyring about why the state of ...
Ofsted’s Annual Report 2021-22
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A summary of the key points of this important report, from Amanda Spielman, Alex Jones, Lee Owston, Yvette Stanley and Chris Jones. Listen to what Ofs...
Ofsted and the curriculum
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We talk to Ofsted's curriculum unit, teachers who've been involved in curriculum planning and a Head and subject lead who've recently been inspected a...
Reading: talk from the Festival of Education
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted's Kirsty Godfrey HMI, Phil Minns HMI and Ivana Vidakovic, from Ofsted's research and evaluation team, gave a talk and Q&A at the Wellington Fes...
Apprenticeships: what’s the landscape like?
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Jones  0:04  Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of Ofsted Talks. Today, we're talking all about apprenticeships, and I've got a stell...
School inspections: answering some common questions for Ofsted
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We're often asked questions about inspections. Here, hosts Chris and Anna answer some of the most popular!  Transcription:  Chris Jones  0:08  ...
Illegal Schools
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ofsted Talks hosts talk to Ofsted's Chief Operating Officer, Matthew Coffey, Ofsted illegal schools inspector, Sue Will and Ofsted Policy Officer, Kat...
Prison education: a review of reading education in prisons
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a recording of the launch of the Prison Education review of reading education in prisons, with Amanda Spielman HMCI and Charlie Taylor...
School Exclusions and Alternative Provision
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hosts, Chris Jones and Anna Trethewey talk about schools exclusions and alternative provision. Anna talk to Ofsted's Anna Heavey about what Ofsted loo...
Panel discussion on Ofsted’s Annual Report
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A recording of the live panel discussion that took place at Ofsted's Annual Report launch on Tuesday 7 December 2021. The panel discussion the issues ...
Annual Report 2021: Amanda Spielman in conversation
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Amanda Spielman discusses the content and context of the 2021 Ofsted Annual Report, talking about what we found in all the areas we inspect during thi...
Leaving Care
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's it like to leave care? We spoke to a care-experienced person who's also Ofsted's head of research. How did the pandemic impact young care leave...
Prison Education
08 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What's education like in prisons? Ofsted Talks hosts, Chris Jones and Anna Trethewey talk to guest speakers about the challenges facing prison educati...
Ofsted‘s Sexual Abuse Review
10 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Chris Jones discusses with report author, Anna Trethewey, how the review was carried out and what inspectors discovered about this issue. More than 90...
In conversation with Amanda Spielman and Chris Russell
27 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Introducing the new Ofsted podcast, 'Ofsted Talks'. This is the pilot episode.  Chris Jones discusses with Amanda Spielman and Chris Russell the im...