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Inspection day checklist
For the day you get the call. Stick it inside a cupboard door now, not when the phone rings.
Check the current framework yourself.
Ofsted’s early years inspection framework changed from September 2026 — see our guide to what replaced the old grades. This checklist is a practical aid, not official guidance. Ofsted’s own toolkit and operating guide are definitive.
When the call comes
- Get a pen before you start talkingYou will not remember it otherwise
- Note the date, the start time and the inspector’s name
- Ask what they would like available
- Tell them honestly which children you have that dayDo not rearrange your week to look busier
- Then plan a completely normal dayA performed routine is more obvious than people think
Have accessible — not reformatted
- Your certificate of registrationAnd your public liability insurance
- Attendance record for the children you care for
- Accident, incident and medication records
- Emergency contacts and parental consents
- Your safeguarding policy and any recorded concerns
- Complaints record
- Details and checks for anyone living or working on the premises
- Paediatric first aid certificateAnd any recent training certificates
- Evidence of risk assessmentNot a written one per activity - just be able to explain it
Rehearse these out loud
- Tell me about one of the children here todayWhere they are, what you have noticed, what is next
- What would you do if a child disclosed something to you?Step by step. Safeguarding is met or not met - there is no middle grade
- Who do you contact about a safeguarding concern, and what is the number?
- How have you supported a child with additional needs?Inclusion is now its own evaluation area - have a real story ready
- What have you changed recently, and why?
- How do you work with parents when you are worried about something?
What they will NOT ask for
- Internal tracking or assessment dataOfsted says explicitly that inspectors will not ask to see this
- A particular format for anything - filing is up to you
- Documents produced specially for the inspection
- A perfect dayThey want to see your normal one
On the day itself
- Normal routine, normal activities, normal snack
- Talk while you workNarrate what you are doing and why - that is the evidence
- Say so if you do not know something“I would look that up” is a better answer than a guess
- Have somewhere for them to sit and workAnd offer them a drink
- BreatheYou do this job every day. Today someone is watching, that is all