Creating Value In Schools
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We will follow up with a more detailed exploration of the inspection framework and toolkits; this Need to Know is designed to give you the headlines and starting points for investigation.
The updated Ofsted framework and inspection toolkits are out. They are due to be implemented from 10 November 2025 – for volunteer schools only initially.
The report card format is still in. There are now six areas for inspections in schools, plus early years or sixth form as appropriate:
Each category will be graded as:
The exception to this is safeguarding, which will be graded as simply ‘met’ or ‘not met’.
Ofsted will not provide an overall effectiveness grade for any provider inspected under this framework.
However, schools will be deemed as requiring significant improvement if they get an ‘urgent improvement' in any category or a safeguarding ‘not met’.
If a school gets urgent improvement in any category PLUS urgent improvement in leadership, then they are in special measures.
Schools in special measures will receive a full RISE assessment. The default position remains that the school will be subject to ‘structural intervention’ – academisation or rebrokering to a different trust.
For schools deemed as requiring significant improvement, until September 2026, when the RISE teams are at full capacity, structural intervention is the main option. From September 2026 the focus will be more on RISE support.
The DfE have published their response to the two consultations that ran in spring 2025 (see Accountability measures and RISE consultation for a reminder).
What’s going ahead?
Reminder: Stuck schools are schools that were graded as requires improvement at their most recent Ofsted inspection, and were also graded as below good at the inspection prior to that.
Unions and other bodies have raised significant concerns about the Ofsted framework, in particular around increased workload for the report card format, and the stress this places on school leaders.
Some have commented on the lack of transparency around the consultation process. It seems that the report card format has been popular with parents, but not with educators. Ofsted have stuck with the format on the basis that clarity of information for parents is a key part of their purpose.
There is also a concern that findings from the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry have not been sufficiently taken into account. Education Support has produced a wellbeing impact assessment, which includes recommendations around support for both school leaders and inspection teams.
The timeline is also a big concern: November 10th is very soon!
The autumn term has only just begun and you can’t drop everything to concentrate on the new framework.
You could start preparing for the changes by:
