This article traces how some features of school inspection in England and Wales have changed since Her Majesty's Inspectorate was first established in 1839. The article describes how the inspectorate began its work; how, later on, a series of reviews and changes to legislation affected the exercise of its accountability and advisory functions; how qualitative judgements in inspection reports became codified over time; and how, in more recent times, inspection became more inclusive by involving practising teachers and managers as peer inspectors. The article ends with the new direction that is currently being taken in Wales.