Ofsted Report Cards: Genuine Reform?

Ofsted Inspection Changes November 2025

1. Revamped Five-Point Grading Scale

   The new scale - Urgent improvement, Needs attention, Expected standard, Strong standard, Exceptional - replaces unpopular labels such as ‘secure’ and ‘causing concern.’

   In theory, this feels like a positive shift. The terms are more accessible for parents, and the tightened definitions between Expected and Strong should provide greater clarity for schools. However, the challenge is deeper than language. A single grade, no matter how carefully worded, cannot capture the full complexity of a school. Without more weight given to narrative explanation, the risk is that this becomes a rebranding exercise rather than meaningful reform.

2. Streamlined Core Inspection Areas

   The number of judgment areas has been reduced from eight to six, with ‘teaching’ incorporated within ‘curriculum’ and ‘attendance’ absorbed into ‘behaviour’. Safeguarding remains a separate judgement area as ‘met’ or ‘not met.’

   This streamlining could help to simplify reports and reduce duplication, with inspectors less likely to cover the same ground in multiple sections.

   Yet some worry about what is being lost. For example, the incorporation of attendance within the behaviour judgement may mean this area does not receive the prominence it deserves at a time when persistent absence is one of the sector’s most urgent challenges.

3. Narrative Context Alongside Grades

   Perhaps the most eye-catching change is the addition of narrative commentary and contextual data to sit alongside grades. For the first time, reports will describe strengths and weaknesses in detail, while also outlining pupil demographics, deprivation levels, and SEND prevalence.

   This feels like an important step forward. Parents will gain a fuller picture, and leaders will have the opportunity for their school’s story to be told in context rather than reduced to a label.

   But will these narratives actually be read? Experience suggests the headline grade will continue to dominate perceptions, particularly in the media. Some parents have even expressed concern that the new colour-coded format could be more confusing than the previous system.

4. Clearer Toolkits for Schools

   Ofsted has promised to publish toolkits that will set out what inspectors will and will not look at, centred on the ‘Expected standard’.

   The benefit is obvious: schools will no longer be left second-guessing what is required. Clear benchmarks should reduce the sense of mystery and inconsistency that have plagued inspections in the past.

   Yet there is a danger here too. Toolkits could easily become rigid checklists, encouraging schools to ‘play to the script’ rather than design creative solutions that meet their pupils’ needs. Governors have also raised concerns that external judgments must align with internal governance; otherwise, the reforms risk being disconnected from the reality of school leadership.

5. Simpler Route to ‘Exceptional’

   One bureaucratic hurdle has been removed. Inspectors no longer need Ofsted Academy approval to award the top grade. Instead, they will use their own evidence and judgment to decide if practice is sustained, transformational, and especially impactful for disadvantaged pupils.

   This is sensible, cutting unnecessary red tape and recognising that inspectors are best placed to judge.

   Yet the Exceptional grade comes with its own difficulties. For many schools in challenging contexts, the bar may feel impossibly high, fuelling a sense of inequity. For those who do achieve it, the pressure to remain there can quickly become a burden. Staff may feel under constant strain to maintain perfection, while communities that celebrate their ‘exceptional’ school may react with disappointment, or even mistrust, if the grade is lost in the future. In essence, what begins as a badge of pride may become a source of stress and division.

6. More Inspectors, Less Pressure?

   Each full inspection will now include an extra inspector for one day, intended to ease pressure and allow the lead inspector more time to engage with school leaders.

   On paper, this could improve the process, creating space for more dialogue and collaboration.

   In reality, its impact may be limited. A single additional inspector cannot, in itself, resolve the culture of high-stakes accountability. Without a broader change in tone and approach, the anxiety that surrounds inspections is unlikely to disappear.

7. Phased Rollout from November

   Inspections will restart on 10 November 2025, beginning with volunteer schools, before routine inspections resume from December. Early years providers will now face inspection every four years instead of six. This phased approach should give schools time to adapt, and the early volunteer cases may offer valuable lessons.

   But the pace of change has already drawn criticism. Many leaders argue the rollout is too rushed and risks confusion. Volunteers may feel like guinea pigs for an untested framework, while early years providers could experience additional workload and inspection fatigue.

8. New ‘Explore an Area’ Service

   A new online tool, Explore an Area, will replace Area Insights, offering public access to data on local provision and comparisons with ‘similar schools.’

   The intention is to provide richer context and a fairer basis for judgment. Parents may welcome the opportunity to see how their school sits within the wider community.

   But comparisons between ‘similar schools’ are notoriously difficult to get right. Done badly, they could fuel unhealthy competition rather than collaboration, and oversimplify the unique challenges each school faces.