Ofsted Inspection Reforms (Summary)

Ofsted has recently announced significant reforms to its inspection framework.

From November 2025, reforms will include:

• Single-word judgements will be replaced by a detailed report card featuring a five-point grading scale from “urgent improvement” to “exceptional.”
• The core evaluation areas will be inclusion, curriculum and teaching, achievement, attendance and behaviour, personal development and well-being, leadership and governance.
• Separate judgements will be applied where applicable for Early Years within schools and Post 16 provision.
• Safeguarding will now be assessed separately as either “met” or “not met.”
• A new emphasis on inclusion will assess how schools support disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, and others facing barriers to learning. Inspectors will look for early identification of needs, adaptive teaching, and targeted support.
• Ungraded inspections will be discontinued, and all routine inspections will be full inspections, with increased monitoring for schools needing improvement.
• Inspections will be led by an HMI and include an additional inspector to ensure consistency and depth.

The reforms also include updated inspection toolkits and operational guides, alongside a new online platform, “Explore an Area” which offers parents insights into local education services.

You can read the full overview at the GOV.UK website.