Worried about the Ofsted school website requirements for 2026? Inspectors routinely check school websites before they visit, and missing information creates a poor first impression. This checklist covers what Ofsted expects schools to publish.
Ofsted school website requirements 2026: the checklist
Ofsted expects schools to publish the following information on their websites. Work through each group and check nothing is missing or out of date. This is a general guide based on well-known expectations — not legal advice.
Contact and basic details
Your school’s name, postal address, telephone number and email address, plus the name of the person who deals with queries — and who parents should contact if they are unavailable. Publish your admissions arrangements too, so prospective parents know exactly how to apply.
Safeguarding and welfare
Your safeguarding and child protection policy, your designated safeguarding lead’s details, and how the school keeps pupils safe online. Inspectors look here first, so keep this section prominent and current.
Curriculum and performance
Your curriculum offer by subject and year, how it is sequenced across year groups, and how you support pupils with SEND. Publish your most recent performance information and a link to your Ofsted report page.
Governance, policies and funding
Governor details including roles and relevant interests, key policies such as behaviour, complaints and equality, and reports on how pupil premium and PE and sport premium funding is spent.
How to audit your website in three steps
You do not need a consultant to start. This simple audit takes an afternoon and shows you exactly where your website stands.
Step 1: Walk the parent journey
Try to find each checklist item as a parent would — on a phone. Note anything missing, buried more than two clicks deep, or clearly out of date. Be brutally honest with yourself.
Step 2: Assign an owner to every page
Each section needs a named staff member responsible for keeping it current. Policies especially should show review dates so nothing quietly expires between inspections.
Step 3: Build a simple update routine
A ten-minute weekly check and a termly full review keep you inspection-ready all year. Your website platform should make updates easy — if it does not, that is a sign to change it.
Key takeaway: meeting the Ofsted school website requirements for 2026 is less about a one-off overhaul and more about a website your staff can keep current — accuracy matters as much as completeness.
Do these requirements apply to academies too?
Yes. Academies are expected to publish the same core information, alongside trust-level governance and funding details. Independent schools have their own parallel expectations.
How often should we review our website?
Check news and dates weekly, and review every statutory page at least termly. Anything with a review date — like policies — should be updated the moment it lapses.
Can Altus build us an Ofsted-ready website?
Yes. We build school websites with all the expected pages structured in from the start, train your staff to maintain them, and quote a firm fixed price once we understand your project.
Ready to grow?
If the Ofsted school website requirements for 2026 feel like a lot to manage alone, we can help. Book your free consultation for an honest audit of your current site.
