Teachers

How to Prepare for GES Inspection 2025: 15 Proven Strategies for Ghanaian Schools

4th July 2025

Master how to prepare for GES inspection in 2025 with 15 expert strategies covering SEF, documentation, classroom readiness, and staff interviews—tailored for schools in Ghana.

prepare-for-ges-inspection-2025

As Ghana’s education system continues to evolve, GES inspections in 2025 are no longer a once-in-a-while compliance exercise—they are a vital tool for improving education quality, accountability, and learner success. Every school—whether public or private—must demonstrate alignment with national expectations for leadership, curriculum, assessment, safeguarding, and learning outcomes.

This definitive guide outlines 15 proven strategies to help your school prepare confidently and completely for the upcoming GES inspection cycle.

📘 Understanding the GES and NaSIA Inspection Framework

The Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA) oversee the national school inspection process.

What’s new in 2025:

Alignment with Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC)
Emphasis on evidence-based teaching
More attention to student voice and inclusion
Real-time monitoring of School Improvement Plans (SIPs)

Inspection domains include:

Leadership & Management
Quality of Teaching and Learning
Learner Achievement
School Environment and Welfare
Governance and Compliance

🌟 Why Inspection Readiness Is Essential

Preparing well means more than ticking boxes—it:

Ensures your school remains compliant with GES policies
Builds a strong reputation in your community
Unlocks funding, promotions, and development opportunities
Drives internal reflection and progress tracking

🧩 1. Conduct a School Self-Evaluation (SEF)

A School Self-Evaluation (SEF) is a GES-required tool that allows you to:

Assess your school’s performance against national standards
Identify gaps and successes
Gather supporting evidence like test results, lesson plans, surveys

See our full guide on writing a SEF

📝 2. Update Your School Improvement Plan (SIP)

Your SIP should be a live document aligned with SEF findings.

Key areas:

SMART goals
Action plans with timelines
Assigned roles
Monitoring frameworks

🧾 Need help? Download our SIP template for Ghanaian schools

📂 3. Organize Key Documentation

Inspectors will request:

SEF and SIP
CPD records
Attendance logs
Assessment results
Policy documents (safeguarding, child protection, teaching policies)

Keep both physical and digital copies well-labeled and accessible.

👩🏽‍🏫 4. Train Teachers for Observations and Interviews

Teachers should expect:

Lesson observations with focus on intent, implementation, and impact
Interview questions on curriculum delivery, assessment, differentiation
Team preparation through mock Q&A and CPD sessions

🧹 5. Prepare Classrooms and Learning Spaces

Displays should reflect the current curriculum
Evidence of learner progress should be visible
Clean, safe, and stimulating environment is a must

📘 6. Curriculum and Assessment Compliance

Ensure:

Scheme of work aligns with CBC
Student-Based Assessment (SBA) data is up-to-date
Differentiation is shown in lesson plans and learner portfolios

🛡️ 7. Safeguarding and Welfare

Inspectors will look for:

Updated Child Protection Policy
Evidence of staff training
Emergency response procedures
Guidance and counselling records

👥 8. Leadership and Management

Demonstrate:

Distributed leadership
Meeting minutes and action outcomes
Performance reviews and improvement measures

💬 9. Student and Parent Engagement

Show:

Student participation in school development
Parent feedback integration
Communication strategies

🛠️ 10. Logistics for the Inspection Day

Plan:

A designated inspector base room
Welcome pack (SIP, SEF, timetables, maps)
Staff assigned to support inspectors

⚠️ 11. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Unlabeled or missing documents
Teachers unaware of inspection process
Data inconsistencies or outdated records

📥 12. After the Inspection: Responding to Feedback

Use the inspection report to:

Update SIP
Celebrate success
Launch new CPD initiatives

🔗 📚 Featured EducationGhana.org Resources

Explore these essential internal links:

📄 How to Write an Effective SIP in Ghana
🏫 GES 2025 Inspection Guidelines Explained
🧑🏽‍🏫 Lesson Observation Strategies for GES Inspections
📆 2025 Academic Calendar: Term Dates and Deadlines
📊 Top 10 Challenges Facing Basic Schools in Ghana

❓ FAQs on How to Prepare for GES Inspection 2025

1. When do GES inspections happen?
They can be scheduled or surprise. Schools must be ready year-round.

2. What’s the difference between SEF and SIP?
SEF is a self-assessment tool; SIP is the action plan that follows it.

3. Who leads the preparation?
The headteacher and SLT coordinate, but all staff must be involved.

4. Can private schools be inspected by GES?
Yes. NaSIA inspects both public and private schools for quality assurance.

5. Are there penalties for failed inspections?
While not punitive, poor results can lead to follow-up visits, sanctions, or loss of accreditation.

✅ Conclusion: Make Inspection-Readiness a Culture

Preparing for inspection in 2025 isn’t about last-minute scrambling—it’s about building a culture of daily excellence.

Start with your SEF, involve your team, gather your evidence, and treat every day as an opportunity to impress not just GES—but the community you serve.