Key summary of all you need to know about Ofsted’s consultation and proposals on changes to inspection for Further Education & Skills (FES)
Read initial thoughts from our Deputy CEO and Director of Policy, Simon Ashworth.
Today is the official launch of Ofsted’s new inspection framework consultation, which runs for 12 weeks and closes on the 28 of April 2025. The consultation has three main sections for FES:
- Record Cards.
- Education Inspection Toolkits.
- Inspection Methodology.
Ofsted will publish a response on the outcome of the consultation in the summer, we expect this to be around the end of June.
It is important to note, that the new framework is now due to be implemented from November 2025 and not September as had been expected. From September to November 2025, Ofsted says they will continue their efforts to ensure that both providers and inspectors feel well prepared for the new inspection regime with training.
Inspection of ITE (Initial Teacher Education), through the revised framework will be implemented from January 2026.
As we already know there will be no overall effectiveness grade for early years, state-funded schools, non-association independent schools, FE and skills or ITE inspections.
Ofsted is proposing a 5-point scale to grade different areas of a provider’s work:
- Exemplary
- Strong
- Secure
- Attention Needed
- Causing Concern
Note that safeguarding and contribution to meeting skills needs have a different set of judgments.
Below is a representative graphic that we have created to help providers understand where these judgments will be applied in the proposed new report card.
As an example, an apprenticeship-only provider will get 7 judgements on their report card:
- Leadership,
- Inclusion,
- Safeguarding,
- Apprenticeships: Curriculum,
- Apprenticeships: Developing Teaching & Training,
- Apprenticeships: Achievement,
- Apprenticeships: Participation & Development.
As a further example, for providers delivering Apps, ASF, 16 to 19 and High Needs Funding - you will get 20 judgements (or 21 if you are a College as this will include the Contribution to Meeting Skills Needs area).
This highlights the key proposals. But are the proposals positive or not?
My initial thought on the report card is that Ofsted has swung from a fairly simplistic approach to a much more granular one in these proposals. For providers who deliver in all four funding areas that’s an awful lot of different grading. Much more manageable if the provider only delivers apprenticeships.
The new five-point grading scale is something AELP originally called for through the Big Listen, so on the face of it that’s positive as a concept.
There are a load of other things to consider too when you get into the details of the proposals for example Ofsted says that they also plan to “no longer use the deep-dive methodology.” That one might be a marmite decision.
Over the next few weeks, AELP is running a series of virtual roundtable events to talk and listen to our members to get their feedback on these proposals. If you’ve not signed up for those then please take a look - they are proving very popular!
Open consultation
Download Ofsted proposals below.
