The purpose of an Ofsted deep dive is to assess and evaluate the quality of education in a specific subject area or aspect of a school’s curriculum during an Ofsted inspection. This assessment helps inspectors gauge how well a school is meeting the educational standards and expectations set by Ofsted and the government. This focused evaluation helps inspectors gain a more in-depth of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in these areas.

During a deep dive, inspectors gather evidence through various means, including classroom observations, interviews with staff and pupils, examination of pupils’ work and analysis of curriculum documentation. This evidence is used to make judgments about the quality of education provided. Deep dives can also highlight examples of good practice within a school. Inspectors may identify innovative teaching methods, effective curriculum design or successful strategies for supporting pupils’ learning, which can be shared as examples of best practice.

The findings of a deep dive can serve as a basis for providing feedback and recommendations to the school. This feedback helps school leaders to understand areas where improvement is needed and develop action plans to address weaknesses. Deep dives are a part of the accountability framework for schools and the outcomes of an Ofsted inspection, including deep dive findings, can have implications for a school’s reputation, funding and future inspections.