From November, Ofsted is scrapping one-word judgements. Here’s what parents need to know about the new inspection report cards.
School and college inspections are changing, and, from 10 November 2025, Ofsted introduces its new Education Inspection Framework (EIF). The aim is to provide clear information for parents, alongside making inspections feel fairer for school leaders and staff.
Report cards
For many years now, a school’s performance has been reflected in Ofsted’s one-word judgements: “outstanding”, “good”, “requires improvement” or “inadequate”.
Instead of this, it’s going to introduce report cards – a system with a high approval rating amongst parents – to show how well a school is performing across designated areas.
Each area is set to be colour-coded, and the judgments are to be expanded to two words:
- urgent improvement
- needs attention
- expected standard
- strong standard
- exceptional.
Ofsted says that this is easier to understand and should make it clearer to see where schools excel.
How inspections will work
The method of inspection is also changing, moving to inspectors spending a longer time spent in each school. If a school is struggling, Ofsted will check in more often to ensure it is making good progress. And in cases where there are serious concerns, Ofsted will conduct a “focused inspection”.
To make things clearer for everyone, Ofsted has published guides and toolkits explaining how inspections will run.
Easier access to results
From November, Ofsted will also launch a new online insights platform where parents will be able to see inspection outcomes for their local education providers to help them make informed choices for their children.
Ofsted believes these changes will give parents a more balanced view of schools – but some teachers and unions are worried that inspections will still create a lot of stress for staff.
