Template Questions
All 10 Parent Survey Questions
Ten questions covering every dimension of parent and carer satisfaction — from teaching quality through to school leadership confidence. Question 3 (child happiness and belonging) is the most predictive of parent overall satisfaction and school-move risk — parents who report their child is unhappy or excluded are the highest risk regardless of academic outcomes. Question 5 (wellbeing and safety) is equally critical and directly relevant to Ofsted safeguarding and wellbeing judgements.
📋 Ofsted preparation: Parent satisfaction surveys are considered as evidence in Ofsted inspections. This template covers the dimensions most relevant to Ofsted's judgement framework — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Run annually and before any inspection, presenting results with specific improvement actions taken.
01Overall, how satisfied are you with our school?Scale 1–5
02How would you rate the quality of teaching and learning at this school?Scale 1–5
03How happy and settled does your child feel at school?Scale 1–5
04How well does the school keep you informed and communicate with parents and carers?Scale 1–5
05How well does the school support your child's emotional wellbeing and safety?Scale 1–5
06How well does the school manage homework and workload in a way that suits family life?Scale 1–5
07How well does the school celebrate and include children from all backgrounds and abilities?Scale 1–5
08How confident are you in the school's leadership and direction?Scale 1–5
09How well does the school involve parents and carers in school life?Scale 1–5
10What is the one thing the school could do to improve your experience as a parent or carer?Open Text
What This Measures
Five Dimensions of Parent Satisfaction
Academic Quality
Teaching and learning quality — whether parents believe their child is making good progress and being well taught. Questions 1 and 2.
Child Wellbeing
Happiness, safety, belonging, and emotional support. The most commercially critical dimension — unhappy children drive school moves. Questions 3 and 5.
Communication
How well parents are informed, consulted, and involved. Most-cited area of improvement in parent surveys nationally. Questions 4 and 9.
Inclusion
Whether all children — regardless of ability, background, or need — feel valued and included. Question 7.
Leadership
Parental confidence in school direction and decision-making. Low confidence is the early warning of reputational problems. Question 8.
Sample Results
Your Parent Survey Dashboard
After 112 of 480 parents responded in spring term, the communication gap against teaching quality was the actionable finding — a new weekly email digest and open parent meeting format increased satisfaction scores by 0.7 points the following year:
Parent Survey · 112 responses · Spring 2026All year groups
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Overall satisfied
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Child happy at school
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Confident in leadership
Teaching quality4.3 / 5
Child happiness & belonging4.1 / 5
Communication with parents3.2 / 5
Wellbeing & safety4.4 / 5
Inclusion & diversity4.2 / 5
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this school satisfaction survey template free?
Yes. Free forever with no signup from you or your parents. Up to 100 responses free. Pro ($19/month) allows 10,000 responses and year-on-year tracking for annual parent satisfaction monitoring.
Can schools use this for Ofsted preparation?
Yes. Parent satisfaction surveys are considered by Ofsted as evidence of parental engagement. The dimensions — teaching quality, pupil wellbeing, communication, inclusion, and leadership — align with Ofsted's judgement framework. Run annually and present aggregated results with specific improvement actions taken in response.
When should schools run a parent satisfaction survey?
Spring term — after parents have had a full academic year's experience but before end-of-year decisions about school moves. Before any Ofsted inspection if timing allows. Mid-year for a lighter pulse check after significant school changes.
Should parent surveys be anonymous?
Yes — anonymous surveys produce significantly more honest feedback about teaching quality, communication, and leadership. Present results to governors and staff in aggregate only — never link individual responses to identifiable families.
How do I get parents to complete the survey?
Send via your school platform (Classdojo, School Gateway, email newsletter). Include in the parent newsletter with a message from the headteacher. Share in the parent Facebook or WhatsApp group. Target 20–25% response rate for meaningful data.
Can a PTA use this survey?
Yes. PTAs and parent governors can gather views for governing body meetings and strategic planning. Survey results presented to the governing body carry significantly more weight than anecdotal feedback. Run with headteacher approval to ensure findings are formally received.
How is this different from Ofsted Parent View?
Ofsted Parent View is the official Ofsted tool through which parents submit views directly to Ofsted. This template is a school-controlled survey giving leadership actionable internal data before any external review — allowing proactive identification and resolution of issues rather than discovering them at inspection.
Can I use this for independent schools?
Yes. Independent schools operate under ISI rather than Ofsted, but parent satisfaction surveys are equally important for reputation and retention. For independent schools, the value for money dimension may warrant an additional question given fee-paying parent expectations.
What questions should a parent school satisfaction survey include?
Effective parent school surveys cover: overall school satisfaction, teaching quality and learning environment, child happiness and sense of belonging, school communication with parents, homework and workload balance, safety and emotional wellbeing support, inclusion and diversity, confidence in school leadership, parent engagement opportunities, and open suggestions. This template covers all ten dimensions.
Can schools use this survey for Ofsted inspection preparation?
Yes. Parent satisfaction surveys are considered by Ofsted as evidence of parental engagement and school effectiveness. The survey dimensions — teaching quality, pupil wellbeing, communication, inclusion, and leadership — align with Ofsted's judgement framework. Schools should run this survey annually and before an inspection, presenting aggregated results with specific improvement actions taken in response. Consult your school improvement partner for inspection-specific guidance.
Should parent school surveys be anonymous?
Yes — anonymous surveys produce significantly more honest feedback about teaching quality, communication, and leadership. Parents who feel identifiable will soften negative feedback about specific teachers or school decisions. VoteGenerator stores no names, email addresses, or identifying information. Present results to governors and staff in aggregate only — never link individual responses to identifiable families.
How do I get parents and carers to complete the school survey?
Send the survey link via your school communication platform (Classdojo, School Gateway, email newsletter). Include in the weekly parent newsletter. Share in the school's parent Facebook or WhatsApp group with a message from the headteacher. Target at least 20-25% parent response rate for statistically meaningful data — a response rate below 15% risks being unrepresentative.
Can a parent-teacher association (PTA) use this survey?
Yes. PTAs and parent governors can use this template to gather parent views for governing body meetings, school improvement discussions, and strategic planning. Survey results presented to the governing body carry significantly more weight than informal anecdotal feedback. Run the survey on behalf of the school with headteacher approval to ensure the findings are formally received.
How is this different from the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire?
Ofsted Parent View is the official Ofsted tool through which parents submit views directly to Ofsted — it is used in inspection preparation and reports. This template is a school-controlled survey that gives leadership actionable internal data before any inspection or external review. Running this survey annually gives schools the opportunity to identify and address issues proactively, rather than discovering them through Parent View at inspection.
Can I use this survey to gather views on a specific school decision?
Yes. While this template is designed as a general annual satisfaction survey, the questions can be edited or supplemented with specific questions about a new school policy, a curriculum change, a building project, or a proposed change to school timings. Use the open text question (Q10) to focus parent feedback on a specific topic if needed.
How do I present school survey results to parents?
Share a summary of key findings with parents in the school newsletter or at a parent meeting — demonstrating that the survey led to specific actions. Parents who see their feedback drive change are significantly more likely to respond to future surveys. Never share individual responses. Frame low scores as improvement priorities rather than failures.
Can this survey be used for independent and private schools?
Yes. Independent schools operate under different inspection frameworks (ISI rather than Ofsted) but parent satisfaction surveys are equally important for reputation, retention, and school improvement. For independent schools, the value for money dimension may warrant an additional question — private school parents have high expectations relative to fees, and fee increase communications should be informed by satisfaction data.
What is the most important school satisfaction survey question?
Question 3 — child happiness and sense of belonging — is most predictive of parent overall satisfaction and school-move risk. Parents who report their child is unhappy or excluded are the highest risk for school move regardless of academic outcomes. Question 5 (wellbeing and safety) is equally critical — a school where parents feel their child is not emotionally safe faces the most serious reputational and operational risk.
Give parents a voice — with data behind it
10 questions. Ofsted-relevant. Governing body ready. No parent login needed.
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