Ofsted Leadership and Management Criteria, Explained

Preparing for an Ofsted inspection? The leadership and management judgement can feel like the most uncertain part. You know your school inside out, but translating that into what inspectors want to see is another matter.

It's particularly frustrating because leadership happens everywhere—in classrooms, departments, and strategic decisions—yet it's often unclear which aspects matter most. Add changing frameworks, safeguarding scrutiny, and workload concerns, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

This guide breaks down Ofsted's leadership and management criteria into practical, actionable guidance. We'll explain what inspectors look for, how to evidence strong leadership, and how teachers at every level contribute.

At Save My Exams, we've supported thousands of teachers and schools. We understand what works in real classrooms, and we're here to help you navigate Ofsted's expectations with confidence.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership and management is one of four key judgements in Ofsted's current inspection framework (opens in a new tab)

• From September 2024, schools no longer receive an overall effectiveness grade—each key judgement stands alone

• Leadership isn't just about senior leaders; subject leads, middle leaders, and classroom teachers all contribute

• Safeguarding is central and must be embedded, not just documented

• Staff wellbeing and workload management are now explicit assessment criteria

What Ofsted Looks for in Leadership and Management

Ofsted evaluates how well leaders, governors, and trustees work together to ensure pupils receive high-quality education.

The focus is on impact. It's not about impressive policies—it's about whether leadership decisions actually improve outcomes for pupils.

The Education Inspection Framework (opens in a new tab) centres on three core principles:

Ambitious vision: Do leaders have a clear vision for high-quality, inclusive education benefiting all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have SEND?

Strategic direction: Are leaders making decisions that support this vision through curriculum choices, staff development, and behaviour policies?

School culture: Have leaders created an environment where pupils thrive and staff feel supported?

Inspectors want evidence that leadership creates conditions for excellent teaching and learning, not bureaucracy adding workload without impact.

Criteria for a 'Good' Judgement

To achieve 'good' for leadership and management (opens in a new tab), schools must demonstrate several key features.

Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum providing the knowledge pupils need, including those with SEND. They ensure all pupils access a broad curriculum without reducing breadth for disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders create a culture where keeping children safe is everyone's responsibility. Staff understand their safeguarding duties and act on them.

Leaders provide effective professional development that improves teaching, CPD is purposeful and linked to school priorities.

Leaders have created a positive behaviour culture where pupils feel safe and disruptions are rare.

Leaders are mindful of staff workload and don't create unnecessary burdens. Governors or trustees hold leaders to account and ensure the school meets statutory duties.

These elements must work together. Weakness in one area, particularly safeguarding, affects the overall judgement.

What Makes Leadership 'Outstanding'?

Outstanding leadership builds on 'good' criteria but goes further.

Leaders have maintained high standards over time. Improvements are embedded and sustainable, not recent fixes. Professional development consistently builds staff knowledge, leading to measurable improvements in teaching.

Leaders at all levels demonstrate strong leadership. The school has depth of expertise, not reliance on one or two individuals.

Where leaders introduce new approaches, these demonstrably improve outcomes without increasing workload unnecessarily.

Staff report high levels of support. Leaders respond quickly to workload concerns (opens in a new tab) and create positive working conditions.

Outstanding schools show that excellent leadership creates conditions where pupils flourish and staff want to work.

Leadership at All Levels

Leadership isn't only about the headteacher or senior team. Ofsted recognises leadership happens throughout schools.

Subject leaders shape curriculum in their areas. A Science lead ensures the curriculum builds knowledge systematically from Year 7 through GCSE. They support teachers with subject expertise, monitor progress, and ensure practical work is safe and effective.

Middle leaders (heads of year, pastoral leads) contribute to behaviour culture, attendance, and personal development. An effective head of Year 10 knows their cohort well, intervenes early when pupils struggle, and works with families.

SEND coordinators ensure pupils with additional needs access an ambitious curriculum with appropriate support.

Classroom teachers demonstrate leadership through excellent teaching, contributing to planning, mentoring colleagues, and taking responsibility for pupil progress.

Inspectors speak with leaders at various levels to understand how leadership functions. Strong schools have distributed leadership, where everyone takes responsibility for improvement.

Real example: An English teacher leads literacy across the curriculum. They train colleagues on reading strategies, provide resources for struggling readers, and track whole-school literacy development. This distributed leadership strengthens teaching beyond the English department.

Safeguarding and Governance

Safeguarding is fundamental to leadership and management. If safeguarding is ineffective, the school will be placed in a category of concern (opens in a new tab), regardless of other strengths.

Leaders must create a culture of vigilance where all staff understand safeguarding responsibilities. Staff must know what to do if they're worried about a child and act promptly.

The designated safeguarding lead must be effective, accessible, and supported. They maintain accurate records, liaise with external agencies, and ensure staff receive regular training.

Systems must work in practice, not just on paper. Inspectors check the single central record but also test whether policies translate into action.

Schools must follow Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance (opens in a new tab). This includes online safety, peer-on-peer abuse, and sexual harassment. Leaders should assume harmful behaviours happen even without reports and put preventative measures in place.

Governance matters: Governors and trustees hold leaders accountable for safeguarding. They must understand their responsibilities, receive regular updates, and challenge where necessary.

Effective governors know their school's context and data. They ask probing questions about attendance, behaviour systems, and pupil premium progress.

Inspectors meet governors and trustees separately from school leaders to ensure honest dialogue.

Supporting Staff and Managing Workload

Since September 2024, staff wellbeing and workload management are explicit criteria (opens in a new tab) in leadership judgements.

Inspectors evaluate how leaders ensure manageable workloads and protect staff from harassment. They gather evidence through staff questionnaires and conversations.

Leaders should audit tasks and remove those that don't directly benefit pupils. Excessive data entry, elaborate lesson plans for observations, or detailed tracking can often be reduced.

High-quality CPD should make teaching easier, not harder. Training on effective questioning or behaviour strategies reduces long-term workload.

Marking policies must be sustainable. Leaders don't require extensive written feedback if it doesn't improve learning. Whole-class feedback or verbal feedback can be equally effective.

Real example: An Art department head streamlines assessment by photographing pupils' work with brief annotations rather than lengthy written comments. This provides effective feedback while significantly reducing marking time.

Staff should report that leaders are mindful of workload. If staff surveys reveal concerns, leaders should have action plans addressing them.

Evidencing Strong Leadership for Ofsted

How do you demonstrate effective leadership during inspection?

Through conversations: Inspectors spend significant time talking with leaders at all levels. Be ready to explain your rationale. Why did you choose this curriculum sequence? How do you know your behaviour system is working? What evidence shows your CPD is improving teaching?

Through documentation: Inspectors review strategic plans, meeting minutes, and self-evaluation. These should be concise and evaluative.

Your documentation should show you identify issues accurately and take appropriate action. If attendance dropped for disadvantaged pupils, what did you do and what was the impact?

Through impact: Leadership is judged by outcomes. Do pupils make strong progress? Is behaviour positive? Do staff feel supported?

Inspectors triangulate evidence from multiple sources: conversations, documentation, lesson visits, and data. Consistency demonstrates embedded, effective leadership.

Practical tips:

• Prepare a brief narrative about your school's journey: priorities, actions, and impact evidence

• Ensure subject leaders can articulate their curriculum rationale

• Keep safeguarding records up-to-date and accessible

• Have recent staff feedback available and show how you've responded

• Be honest about challenges—inspectors value accurate self-evaluation

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ofsted mean by 'leadership and management'?

Leadership and management includes anyone making key decisions—headteachers, senior leaders, subject leads, SEND coordinators, and pastoral leaders. It also includes governance: how governors or trustees hold the school to account and ensure statutory duties are met.

Do teachers need to know the leadership criteria?

Yes, especially if you have any leadership responsibility. Even without formal roles, classroom teachers contribute through teaching quality and contribution to school improvement. Inspectors may speak with any staff member, so understanding effective leadership helps you contribute confidently.

How do governors fit into the leadership judgement?

Governors and trustees are evaluated as part of leadership and management. Inspectors assess whether they understand the school, challenge leaders appropriately, and fulfil statutory responsibilities. Effective governance means knowing your school's strengths and weaknesses and holding leaders to account.

How can we show inspectors that workload is well managed?

Staff feedback is key. If questionnaires show staff feel supported and workload is manageable, that's strong evidence. Demonstrate you've removed unnecessary tasks and streamlined processes. Show examples of reduced marking burden or simplified planning expectations. If staff raise concerns, show your response and impact.

What evidence will Ofsted want to see?

Inspectors don't prescribe specific documents. They want access to what you normally use: strategic plans, meeting minutes, safeguarding records, the single central record, and self-evaluation. Most evidence comes from conversations with leaders, staff, pupils, and governors, plus first-hand observation. Don't create documents specifically for inspection.

Final Thoughts

Good leadership is about consistent, values-led practice that improves outcomes for pupils. It's not about performing for inspection—it's about genuine school improvement.

The strongest schools have distributed leadership where teachers at all levels take responsibility for excellence. They have clear vision, make evidence-informed decisions, support staff wellbeing, and create cultures where pupils and staff thrive.

Focus on long-term impact and sustainability rather than short-term fixes. If your leadership decisions genuinely benefit pupils and staff, inspection will reflect that. Strong leadership creates schools where brilliant learning happens—and that's what every inspection should find.

References

1. School Inspection Handbook - (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)

2. Keeping Children Safe in Education - (opens in a new tab)GOV.UK (opens in a new tab)