Ofsted inspection framework 2025: summary of changes

Get your head around the key changes to school inspections for state-funded schools for 2025, including new report cards and the inspection toolkit.

Last reviewed on 21 November 2025See updates
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Contents
  1. Routine inspections resumed on 1 December 2025
  2. Understand the documents involved
  3. New report cards
  4. New inspection toolkit
  5. All inspections are full graded inspections
  6. Monitoring inspections
  7. Additional focus on inclusion across all areas
  8. New measures for wellbeing during inspections
  9. New role of nominated staff member
  10. Changes to the notification phone call
  11. No more deep dives
  12. New local data reporting service

We’re working on updating our school inspection content across the site, and adding resources to help you manage changes to the system. Select ‘save for later’ at the top of any article page and we’ll notify you when it’s ready.

Routine inspections resumed on 1 December 2025

If your school is in the 'inspection window', our Ofsted resource hub can help you understand what's involved in the 2025 framework and prepare for inspection.

There won't be any inspections in the final week before Christmas.

Inspections for non-association independent schools will resume in January 2026.

This is set out in the ‘Starting inspections’ section under 'Next steps' in Ofsted’s consultation outcome.

Understand the documents involved

You don’t need to read through every document straight away. Lots of the information is operational, and you won't need to know every detail. Start with this article –