Ofsted Report Cards: The Big Changes Starting November 2025

Jason Leven
1 day ago
4 min read

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 the 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.

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. Introduction of detailed “report cards”

Rather than a simple headline judgement, 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

Why These Changes Matter

For leadership teams & governors: The way you monitor and present school improvement will need to align more closely with the new evaluation areas. The narrative commentary means it’s no longer sufficient to simply aim for a headline grade; clarity of strengths and development areas is vital.
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 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.
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: At interview stage, ask about the school’s most recent inspection outcome under the new framework, what the report card said, and what the improvement priorities are.
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: A shift to more detailed reporting may signal a move away from simplistic “Outstanding vs Inadequate” culture to one which celebrates improvement, transparency and collaboration.
Highlight your contribution: In your application or interview, articulate how you might support key evaluation areas (e.g., inclusion, curriculum implementation, pupil personal development) under the new regime.

Final Thought

The arrival of the new report cards marks a significant cultural shift in 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.

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. Further reading and sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofsted-sets-out-proposals-for-fairer-education-inspections-and-new-more-detailed-report-cards https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-report-cards-the-8-big-changes-you-need-to-know/