Ofsted

What does OFSTED stand for?

OFSTED stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

What are the main responsibilities of OFSTED?

OFSTED is responsible for:

1. The inspection and regulation of educational institutions including independent schools, state schools, academies and childcare facilities

2. The inspection of agencies responsible for adoption, fostering and other social care services

3. The inspection of other services for children and young people

4. Carrying out research on education and social care

5. Reporting on the above institutions and relaying the information to the government

Although OFSTED is a non-ministerial department of the UK government and reports to Parliament, it is independent and impartial.

What’s new for 2025?

Changes to the inspection process are detailed in a new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and accompanying inspection toolkits.

Report cards

Ofsted has moved away from single headline judgements. Instead, inspection outcomes will now be presented as a report card containing:

• a 5-point grading scale across a wider range of evaluation areas

• a short narrative explaining the rationale behind each grade

• contextual data about the school which aims to support more nuanced reporting

Evaluation areas and grading Schools will be assessed in 6-8 core areas of operation which include:

• Leadership and governance

• Curriculum and teaching

• Attendance and behaviour

• Achievement

• Personal development and wellbeing

• Inclusion

• Early years setting within schools

Safeguarding will be exempt from the 5-point grading scale. Instead, schools can expect to receive a ‘met’ or ‘not met’ grade for this area.

What happens during an OFSTED inspection?

The most important aspect of an OFSTED inspection is class observation. The inspectors will sit in on lessons and gather evidence in order to help them gauge a school’s rating.

Other inspection methods used by OFSTED include:

1. Communicating with pupils and teaching staff about the school

2. Taking into consideration school evaluations undertaken by local authorities

3. Meeting with the headteacher and senior staff members in order to discuss their findings and provide oral feedback

After the inspection OFSTED will:

1. Write a full report on the findings of their inspection

2. Send this report to the school in order to receive feedback

3. The completed report is then published by OFSTED within twenty eight days of the inspection

The school is required by law to provide a copy of the report to the parents of all pupils.

Ofsted Inspection February 2026

From November 2025 Ofsted uses a renewed inspection framework that gives parents a clearer, more rounded picture of a school’s strengths and areas to improve. Inspections now look closely at the curriculum (what pupils are taught and how well they learn it), inclusion and SEND support, pupils’ progress and achievement, behaviour and attendance, personal development and wellbeing, safeguarding, and the effectiveness of leadership and governance. Reports and school profile information are designed to be more transparent so you can see how the school is performing for all groups of pupils. At Oakfield we continue to prioritise strong, inclusive classroom teaching, clear support for pupils with additional needs, and open communication with families so every pupil can thrive under this new framework.

You may notice that our school’s published attainment is below national averages — this reflects the very particular needs of our intake: over half of our pupils are eligible for free school meals and we have well above average levels of SEND (around 26% of pupils, including higher-than-average EHCPs and specialist resourced places). What those headline figures do not show is the strong progress our pupils make from their starting points. At Oakfield we focus relentlessly on high-quality classroom teaching, targeted speech, language and reading support from our resourced bases, and bespoke interventions so that children who start behind make rapid, sustained gains. Under Ofsted’s renewed framework inspectors now look closely at inclusion and progress; we remain committed to ensuring every pupil, whatever their need, receives the support to flourish.

Please see the link below for our full report.