The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government (HMG), reporting to Parliament. Ofsted's role is to make sure that organisations providing education, training and childcare services in England do so to a high standard for children and students. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools. It also inspects childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and regulates early years childcare facilities and children's social care services.
The chief inspector ("HMCI") is appointed by an Order in Council and thus becomes an office holder under the Crown. Sir Martyn Oliver has been HMCI since 2024; since August 2020 the chair of Ofsted has been Christine Ryan: her predecessors include Julius Weinberg and David Hoare.
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