Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 30 March 2023 to Question 174445 on Schools: Inspections, whether she has taken steps to prevent schools monitoring website traffic to predict the timing of an Ofsted inspection.

Ofsted has confirmed that it has made changes to its processes around how, and when, inspectors access school websites. It is also continuing to consider proportionate technical options to hide or disguise its access to school websites prior to an inspection.

The department and Ofsted would urge schools not to use this kind of service. Schools do not need to take any extra steps to prepare for Ofsted inspections.