Ofsted progress and upcoming consultation

Top takeaway

Following on from the scrapping of single headline judgements, Ofsted will be consulting soon on a proposed report-card format for school inspections, for launch in September 2025. 

More detail

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has spoken to MPs on the education committee about the proposed new report card format for Ofsted inspections. Schools Week reports on key findings. 

Key information

• Ofsted is to launch a consultation in January on the new report card proposals.
• Schools will retain their one-word judgements until they have been reinspected under the new report card system.
• The new report cards will cover areas such as leadership and governance, curriculum, pupil outcomes, behaviour, attendance, inclusion and support for vulnerable children. (See what was previously suggested about Ofsted’s 10 areas for focus.)
• Safeguarding will have its own criteria and won’t be part of the leadership judgement. The government has talked about introducing an annual safeguarding check for all schools, but Oliver pointed out that this would be very expensive to conduct. 
• Oliver sees SEND as a more pressing issue than safeguarding in any case. 
• Oliver wants Ofsted to have powers to inspect MATs (a change which will need parliamentary approval in order to be legal) and all other institutions and bodies with a responsibility for children. 
• 95% of reports are now being published within Ofsted’s target of 30 working days. The length of time between inspections and reports being published was one of many concerns raised by the coroner after the inquest into the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Background

In September 2024, Ofsted single-word judgements were scrapped, with the Education Secretary describing them as ‘low information for parents and high stakes for schools’ (Single headline Ofsted grades scrapped in landmark school reform). 

For inspections this academic year, schools are being given grades for the existing sub-categories: 

• quality of education
• behaviour and attitudes
• personal development 
• leadership and management.

How do teachers feel about Ofsted inspections? See Teacher Tapp’s Ofsted - inspections under the microscope for results of their survey investigations. 

What happens next?

Look out for information on the consultation process, due to be launched January 2025, in order to inform a proposed rollout of the report card format in September 2025. 

Reading and resources

• Schools Week: Martyn Oliver on Ofsted reform: 8 things we learned
• Schools Week: Ofsted proposes giving schools one of five ratings across 10 areas
• Need to Know: Education secretary priorities
• Teacher Tapp: Ofsted - inspections under the microscope
• DfE press release: Single headline Ofsted grades scrapped in landmark school reform