Ofsted Report Cards: The Big Changes Starting November 2025

Jason Leven
Oct 22
6 min read

Updated: Nov 6

As a specialist education recruitment agency, we at Aston Education believe it’s vital that school leaders, governors, and practitioners are fully briefed on the upcoming changes from Ofsted. These reforms will have significant implications not only for inspection readiness and school self-evaluation but also for how the sector presents itself to stakeholders – including prospective staff who want to join a high-performing, improvement-minded team. Ofsted has since made further adjustments to the new framework following pilot inspections, aiming to ease workload pressures, refine how achievement is evaluated, and ensure the process feels fairer and more collaborative for schools of all sizes.

From 10 November 2025, the way schools, nurseries, and further education providers are inspected and reported will shift in important ways. Below we break down what’s changing, what this means for your setting (or one you might work in), and what you can do to get ahead.

What’s Changing: Key Developments

Here are the headline reforms schools need to be aware of:

1. A New Five-Point Grading Scale

Under the new framework, providers will no longer receive a single overall “Outstanding/Good/Requires Improvement/Inadequate” judgement. Instead, each evaluation area will be graded as one of:

Urgent Improvement
Needs Attention
Expected Standard
Strong Standard
Exceptional

This is confirmed by Ofsted’s announcement.

2. Core Inspection Areas

The core inspection areas are:

Inclusion
Curriculum and teaching
Achievement
Attendance and behaviour
Personal development and wellbeing
Leadership and governance

3. Introduction of Detailed “Report Cards”

Rather than a simple headline judgment, the inspection outcome will be presented as a report card: a more detailed, accessible document that gives a visual “at-a-glance” grading grid, followed by narrative commentary in each area. The aim is to give parents and carers clearer, more granular information about the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Following pilot inspections, Ofsted confirmed that many schools found the new report cards and methodology fairer and more collaborative. Leaders valued the regular reflection meetings, learning walks with headteachers, and the move away from deep dives.

4. Safeguarding Graded Separately

Safeguarding will no longer simply be part of leadership and management – it will be evaluated on a ‘met’/‘not met’ basis and flagged high on the report card.

5. More Evaluation Areas & Stronger Emphasis on Inclusion

Inspectors will place greater emphasis on how schools support disadvantaged, vulnerable, or SEND pupils, and on inclusion more broadly. The new report card will reflect this with a specific inclusion-focused strand. However, after pilot inspections, some leaders raised concerns about how the new “achievement” category might affect inclusivity. Ofsted has now clarified its expectations: pupils should “typically” achieve well, recognising that in small cohorts or special settings, published data may not always reflect true achievement. This helps ensure the framework remains fair and inclusive.

6. Early Years Settings Inspected More Frequently

For early years settings, the inspection cycle will shorten; for example, the interval between inspections will reduce from six years to four years in some cases.

7. Transition and “Volunteer” Inspections

From 10 November 2025, routine inspections under the new framework begin. However, initially, voluntary inspections (i.e., schools choosing to be inspected under the new regime) will proceed after that date, with full rollout later. During pilot inspections, Ofsted also adjusted how inspection teams operate in small schools, helping to make the process smoother and more manageable.

New Approach for Small Schools

Following pilot feedback, Ofsted has confirmed that small schools will now have two inspectors on both days of a two-day inspection (rather than three on day one). This change aims to balance workloads and make logistics simpler for leaders with smaller staff teams.

Planning calls, which can last up to 90 minutes, will now place greater emphasis on anticipating staff impact and involving leaders in shaping inspection timetables, case sampling and learning walks.

Why These Changes Matter

For Leadership Teams & Governors

With Ofsted’s latest updates aimed at reducing workload and clarifying evaluation expectations, leaders should ensure that self-evaluation processes are well-evidenced, realistic and inclusive.

For Staff Recruitment & Retention

A school able to show a “Strong Standard” or “Exceptional” grade across key areas may be more attractive to high-calibre candidates. Conversely, settings rated “Needs Attention” or “Urgent Improvement” need robust plans and transparent communication to prospective applicants.

For Candidates

If you are applying for a role, understanding the school’s performance under the new regime will help you ask better questions (for example: “What did the report card say about inclusion? What actions followed?”).

For Parents and Community

The report card is designed to be more accessible, meaning that schools will need to ensure communications around inspection outcomes are clear and well-structured.

What Schools Should Do Now: Our Practical Advice

Here are strategic steps to prepare your school or trust for the new regime:

Audit Current Self-Evaluation and Improvement Planning
- Map your current self-evaluation (SEF) and school improvement plan against the new evaluation areas (curriculum, teaching, inclusion, behaviour & attitudes, leadership & governance, etc).
- Ensure the language and evidence capture the strengths and areas for growth clearly.
- Review Ofsted’s updated toolkit — particularly the clarified “achievement” statement (now phrased as pupils “typically” achieving well) and the refined leadership and governance standards.
Review Evidence for Each Evaluation Area
- For example: How are you demonstrating the quality of curriculum design and implementation? What evidence shows your provision for vulnerable/SEND pupils?
- Think about narrative as well as data: the report card will include commentary, not just grades.
Prepare Communications
- Develop a plan for how you will share and explain your next inspection outcome to staff, governors, parents, and candidates.
- Consider how you will highlight both achievements and development priorities.
Ensure Safeguarding is Watertight
- Since safeguarding is now graded separately and sits prominently on the report card, revisit your policies, practice, and evidence.
- Make sure “met” status is robustly evidenced.
Engage Staff in the Change
- Many practitioners feel concerned about the shift; being proactive helps.
- Provide training or briefings about the change so that all staff understand what will be different about inspections and reporting.
- Smaller schools should take time to plan staffing for inspections now that two inspectors will be on-site each day, ensuring schedules are realistic and manageable.
Use the Transition Period Wisely
- While the new framework begins in November, you have time to plan and refine before your next inspection. Early adopter schools (volunteers) may undergo inspection sooner. Use the time to get ahead.

What This Means for Candidates Looking to Work in Schools

If you’re a teacher, middle leader, senior leader, or support staff member considering a role in a school or MAT, here’s how the changes impact you:

Ask Good Questions: Our interview preparation should include studying the school’s Ofsted report. At the interview stage, ask about the school’s most recent inspection outcome under the new framework (or old framework if most recent) and what steps they have put in place to achieve the improvement priorities.
Look for Transparency: Schools that are openly sharing their report card, strengths, and development areas will likely be better prepared and more thoughtful about improvement.
Be Aware of Culture: The shift towards detailed report cards and reflection meetings represents a move away from the old “Outstanding vs Inadequate” culture – encouraging fairness, collaboration and context.
Highlight Your Contribution: In your application or interview, articulate how you might support key evaluation areas (e.g., inclusion, curriculum and teaching, achievement, attendance and behaviour, personal development and wellbeing, leadership and governance) under the new regime.

Preparing for the Future of Education

As the education landscape evolves, it is crucial for all stakeholders to adapt. The new Ofsted framework will not only change how schools are evaluated but also how they communicate their successes and challenges.

Embracing Change

Schools must embrace these changes proactively. This means investing in training, refining communication strategies, and ensuring that all staff members are on board with the new expectations. By doing so, schools can position themselves as leaders in education, ready to meet the demands of the new framework.

Building Stronger Communities

The new report cards will foster stronger connections between schools and their communities. By providing clear, accessible information, schools can engage parents and local stakeholders more effectively. This transparency will enhance trust and collaboration, ultimately benefiting students.

The Role of Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies like Aston Education play a vital role in this transition. We can help schools navigate the new framework, ensuring they attract the right talent to support their goals. Additionally, we assist candidates in understanding the implications of these changes, empowering them to make informed career decisions.

Final Thought

The arrival of the new report cards – together with Ofsted’s most recent refinements – marks a continued cultural shift towards fairer, more collaborative inspections from November 2025.

For education recruitment, this is important: the way schools present themselves, the parameters by which they are judged, and the conversations staff and candidates have will all shift.

With Ofsted responding directly to pilot feedback, schools can be reassured that flexibility, clarity and staff wellbeing are now being factored into the inspection process.

At Aston Education, we support both whole-school leadership teams and individual candidates in navigating these changes – from reviewing how inspection outcomes shape recruitment messaging to helping candidates frame their applications and interviews in this evolving landscape.

If you’d like support in reviewing your school’s readiness for the new framework – or if you’re a candidate looking to find a school that aligns with your values under the new regime – do get in touch with us today.