Ofsted will inspect safeguarding on a 'met'/'not met' basis
Under the 2025 inspection framework, safeguarding is its own evaluation area. Your school will either meet, or not meet, Ofsted’s safeguarding standards. This is different from the rest of the evaluation areas, which are graded on a 5-point scale.
This is because Ofsted expects your school to be completely compliant with statutory requirements (read more about this below).
What Ofsted is looking for
Your school is expected to have an open and positive safeguarding culture that puts pupils’ interests first. Leaders should take an effective, whole-school approach to safeguarding.
This means that your school and your schools leaders should:
Be vigilant and recognise that safeguarding issues might occur in any provision at any time Protect pupils from maltreatment and harm inside and outside the home, including online Recognise that pupils not attending school might be an indication of: Safeguarding concerns including