• Find an adult learning and skills inspection report
• Understanding an adult learning and skills inspection report
• Types of adult learning and skills Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting adult learning and skills
• About our survey reports
• How to complain

About our survey reports

As well as our inspection and regulatory role, Ofsted carries out surveys which consider big issues. We publish reports of those surveys, which help us to share the good practice we find.

To find our published survey reports, go to the Advanced resources search and choose 'surveys and good practice' from the publications filter.

Ofsted gathers survey information mainly through visits to or inspections of a range of schools, colleges and other providers such as childminders or children's homes.

As well as appearing in individual survey reports, the evidence we collect during these visits is also:

• included in Ofsted’s Annual Report, written by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, to give a national picture
• used by Ofsted to share good practice through this website, conferences, talks and articles
• helpful to individual providers to help them improve and supports their own self-evaluation.

Who carries out survey inspections and visits?

We employ specialist inspectors to carry out survey inspections and visits. As in other types of inspection, inspectors follow guidance on how to carry out the survey inspections. To find out more about:

• survey inspections on particular subjects, go to Generic grade descriptors and supplementary subject-specific guidance for inspectors on making judgements during subject survey visits to schools
• surveys that look at a specific theme or a particular aspect of provision, go to our Surveys page.

Will providers get feedback?

At the end of a survey visit, inspectors will discuss with the provider what they found out during their visit. Most receive a short letter setting out the findings from the inspectors and noting any areas for development. All visits and inspections feed evidence into the final survey report.