The Ofsted Report Card, under consultation from today, would replace the already scrapped single-word judgements for education providers' overall performance, with a five-point colour-coded grading scale for each evaluation area.
This would range from “causing concern” at the lowest end, through “attention needed”, “secure” and “strong’, to “exemplary”.
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The new system, due in the autumn, includes an increased “focus on support for disadvantaged and vulnerable children”, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and a greater “emphasis on providers’ circumstances and local context”, according to the inspectorate.
The framework would be tailored by setting type – school, early years or further education – although all inspections will rate settings’ performance on inclusion, “making sure these children are always at the centre of inspection,” said Ofsted.
Explaining how it proposes to consider context, the inspectorate added: “Ofsted is also proposing to include more contextual data in inspections and reports, such as learner characteristics, performance outcomes, absence and attendance figures, and local area demographics.
“Inspectors will use this information to help understand the circumstances in which leaders are operating and to assess their work in context - for instance, whether they are working hard in a disadvantaged area facing particular challenges, or - if they have a high-attaining intake - whether they are stretching their most able pupils.
“This will help parents make national and local comparisons, and comparisons between providers working in similar contexts.”
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver, said the proposals take into account sector feedback from the Big Listen, adding that he hoped that this “more balanced, fairer approach” would “reduce the pressure on professionals working in education, as well as giving them a much clearer understanding of what we will be considering on inspection”.
The Local Government Association (LGA) welcomed the changes on inclusion and Cllr Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, called for the assessments to include a “nationally agreed definition of mainstream inclusion”.
However, the National Education Union (NEU) has slammed the proposals, predicting the new assessments would “make matters worse”, adding that the reforms had been “botched and rushed”.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, said Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was “right to remove one-word judgments, because she recognised the damage that they cause”, adding that Oliver “has failed to deliver" on creating a more supportive system.
Kebede continued: “The chief inspector has ignored the findings from the Big Listen.
“He has ignored the voice of the profession. He has set a course for Ofsted to remain just as out of touch as before, just as crude in its assessments.”
The union is concerned that “inspectors categorising 10 areas into five boxes in two days will exacerbate existing issues of inconsistency and unreliability”.
In addition, “Ofsted’s plan does not address the mental health impact of the current ‘high stakes’ accountability systems on the profession,” said Kebede, who also criticised Ofsted’s emphasis on disadvantage.
“Ofsted judgements currently are telling us more about the measure of disadvantage in a school than anything else,” explained Kebede, adding: “We need to attract leaders and experienced teachers to stay in schools in high poverty areas and that is why the labelling and ranking of schools is so counter-productive.
“Ofsted’s latest rebrand does not do enough to recognise the context within which they work.
“Ofsted has failed to take seriously the enormous concerns of the profession.
“Even whistleblowers from within are claiming the process has been botched and rushed.”
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of early years body National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said the organisation plans to organise provider events with Ofsted during the consultation process, adding that she hoped the inspectorate “engages fully” with the sector.
Tanuku continued: “The new inspection framework must be focused in its commitment to improve children’s outcomes.
“It must also be equitable so that all types of providers within early education and care receive the same inspection experience that supports providers in delivering high quality.”
The consultation, available here, will run for 12 weeks, from 3 February to 28 April, with a report to follow in the summer.
As well as the online survey, Ofsted will hold focus groups during the consultation period. Formal pilots of the inspection approach and further user testing of report cards will also be carried out over the coming months, to help inform and improve the proposals.
The final agreed reforms will then be piloted again across all education remits, before being formally implemented from autumn 2025.
Changes to children’s social care inspections will follow in 2026.
