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What Ofsted’s report cards changed for schools

Since November 2025 Ofsted has graded schools on a five-point scale in each evaluation area apart from safeguarding and published the grades on a report card. The toolkit was updated for September 2026, and the new education secretary has said she wants more change.

News · 2 minute read

Ofsted’s renewed inspection framework took effect for state-funded schools on 10 November 2025. In place of a single headline grade, each school inspected since then gets a report card: a grade for each evaluation area, with a written summary of strengths and areas for improvement. Ofsted announced the changes on 9 September 2025. As of October 2026, the toolkit inspectors use is the one “For use on inspections from 7 September 2026”.

Grades and evaluation areas

Schools are graded on inclusion; curriculum and teaching; achievement; attendance and behaviour; personal development and wellbeing; leadership and governance; and, where a school has them, early years and post-16 provision. Each area gets one of five grades: exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention or urgent improvement. Safeguarding is judged separately, as met or not met.

From September 2026 inspectors also compare a school’s achievement with schools in a similar context, using a new statistical model that Ofsted described on 12 June 2026.

What it means for English departments

English is seen mainly through curriculum and teaching, and through achievement. The operating guide tells inspectors: “Learning walks will have a particular focus on the ‘curriculum and teaching’ and ‘achievement’ evaluation areas, tailored by your discussions with leaders in the planning call.” A school may name a leader to go on learning walks, and the guide gives a subject leader or a reading leader as examples.

Ofsted’s inspection information for schools sets out what it does not ask for. These lines matter to an English department:

  • “We do not prefer any particular method of planning (including lesson or curriculum planning), teaching or assessment.”
  • “We do not require schools to show us individual lesson plans or previous lesson plans.”
  • “We do not specify the frequency, type or volume of marking and feedback.”
  • “We do not use work scrutiny to evaluate teachers’ marking.”

Ofsted leaves the marking and feedback policy to the school. Our article on whole-class feedback sets out what the evidence says about one approach.

What happens next

As of October 2026, the toolkit and guides for use from September 2026 apply. Ofsted last updated the operating guide and the inspection information on 28 August 2026, to clarify the reasons for placing a school in a category of concern and inspectors’ access to DBS information about volunteers.

Lucy Powell, education secretary since July 2026, wrote to Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, that she wanted to move “from a high-stakes and low-trust system to one that is more supportive”. Tes reported the letter on 24 September 2026. Three days later Tes reported that she wanted inspections to give much more weight to a school’s context. As of 5 October 2026, Ofsted has announced no change to the grades or the report cards.

Sources

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