How to become an education adviser or school inspector
Official title: Education advisers and school inspectors
Also called: Adviser, Inspector, Academic adviser, Ofsted inspector, School inspector, Education adviser, Education officer, Curriculum adviser, Education assessor, Educational adviser, Early years adviser, Education inspector
Education advisers and school inspectors plan, organise and direct the educational activities and resources in a local authority education area, and undertake inspections of schools and other training establishments excluding universities.
Main tasks
- Advises on all aspects of education and ensures that all statutory educational requirements are being met
- Plans and advises on the provision of special schools for children with physical or learning disabilities
- Appoints and controls teaching staff
- Verifies that school buildings are adequately maintained
- Arranges for the provision of school medical and meals services
- Observes teaching, assesses learning level and discusses any apparent faults with teachers, heads of department and head teachers
- Prepares reports on schools concerning teaching standards, educational standards being achieved, the spiritual, moral and social development of pupils, resource management etc
How to become one
Job holders usually possess an education-related degree or relevant postgraduate qualification and have gained relevant experience in teaching and/or school management. Before being appointed, an inspector has to attend a course of training provided or approved by OFSTED. Most inspectors are or have been head teachers, deputy heads or heads of department. A DBS check may be required.
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £44,549 a year The middle half earn £37,377 to £54,486.
- About 59,000 people work in this job now, and about 64,300 are projected by 2035. (+9%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become an education adviser or school inspector?
Job holders usually possess an education-related degree or relevant postgraduate qualification and have gained relevant experience in teaching and/or school management. Before being appointed, an inspector has to attend a course of training provided or approved by OFSTED. Most inspectors are or have been head teachers, deputy heads or heads of department. A DBS check may be required.
How much does an education adviser or school inspector earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £44,549 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £37,377 to £54,486.
Is an education adviser or school inspector a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 9% by 2035, from about 59,000 to about 64,300 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become an education adviser or school inspector?
Usually. 91% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.