What is Ofsted looking for when it comes to your school equipment?
Find out all about what Ofsted will look for in your school equipment during their next inspection with a little help from Utility Rentals.
Have you got the school equipment you need to ace your next Ofsted inspection?
With teaching and a million other things to think about, it’s all too easy to forget about this surprise process and just how important school equipment is to it.
In this blog, we’ll tell you all about the things Ofsted typically looks for in school equipment to help you shoot for that ‘Outstanding’ status.
The things Ofsted wants to know about your school equipment
Here are the top 5 things Ofsted inspectors want to see in your school equipment when they next stop by:
1) It helps meet health & safety standards
Most importantly, Ofsted inspectors need to know your school equipment is safe.
They’ll also want to find out whether you’ve got the right equipment to meet other health & safety standards, which could include:
- Water coolers that keep kids hydrated and protect them from bacterial nasties
- Hand dryers for pupil/teacher bathrooms, helping improve hygiene and reduce the risk of slipping on wet paper towels
- Lab glass washers for cleaning up the chemical spills from your science experiments
2) It creates awesome learning environments
Whether indoors or outdoors, inspectors want to know your school equipment helps create stimulating learning and play environments.
You can take all sorts of routes to get there. But, here’s one example of our favourite options for indoors and outdoors:
- Indoors: Bring your classrooms to life with interactive screens; help kids cleverly collaborate on projects or educational games.
- Outdoors: Make more of your outdoor space with playground canopies; hold lessons outside or give students a place to shelter during break times.
3) It contributes towards better student grades
Your teachers are your superstars when it comes to helping kids get those top grades. But, inspectors will want to see your school equipment contributing too.
iPads are basically made for education – you can do so much with them to help boost grades:
- Create unique, memorable lesson plans to help boost engagement
- Set and monitor homework to make sure everyone’s getting involved
- Revise and remember complicated topics with simple quizzes and educational games
- Improve diversity and inclusion to make sure everyone gets the same chance at success
4) It can provide healthy school meals for pupils
Healthy school meals are – quite rightly – a big deal in education right now.
Inspectors will look to see whether you’re offering plenty of nutritious meal options. They’ll also want to know your canteen is up-to-scratch in terms of hygiene.
Stick it to the stodge with professional school catering equipment, such as:
5) It shows your school is led responsibly
Inspectors will be on the lookout for signs your school’s being smartly run. Part of this will come down to how you balance your books.
Not only will you need to make sure you’re acquiring new school equipment without breaking the bank, you’ll want to be sure you’ve got enough cash left behind to cover maintenance, replacement and the like.
With our flexible leasing model, you spread the cost of your investment over the duration of your contract. In many cases, we’ll cover your installation, staff training, maintenance and replacement costs as part of your deal.
Get all the equipment you need to ace your next Ofsted inspection. Speak to the expert Utility Rentals team!
