Safer nurseries with 3,000 more surprise Ofsted visits
Parents will have greater peace of mind as more surprise Ofsted visits, stronger checks and faster action help keep children safe in nurseries.
MPs quiz Ofsted Chief Inspector on teacher wellbeing
On Tuesday the Education Committee will question His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, as part of its twice-yearly scrutiny of Ofsted, focusing on the watchdog’s progress over the past year.
Heads ‘overwhelmingly negative’ about new Ofsted inspections
Revamped Ofsted inspections have left headteachers feeling “overwhelmingly negative” about the visits with some vowing to quit the profession, an independent survey has found.
Ofsted’s FE chief ‘confident’ more ITPs will secure elusive exceptional grade
Ofsted’s top ‘exceptional’ grade is not out of reach for independent training providers, the inspectorate’s new FE chief has said, despite only one provider achieving the feat since the new regime launched eight months ago.
Why educational impact fades out
Making positive changes to yourself is hard but to try and do it at a school, college, or even across a group of schools locally, and sustain that change, is doubly difficult.
Colour-coded Ofsted ratings ‘put teachers at risk’
Ofsted’s new colour-coded school report cards are putting teachers at risk, a report has found.
Headteachers criticise ‘brutal’ Ofsted inspection framework
Campaign group’s survey of schools finds ‘overwhelmingly negative’ reactions to new inspection system.
Usefulness of Ofsted judgments questioned by complaints analysis
Childcare experts are questioning the use and accuracy of Ofsted inspection judgments after latest research found more than half of complaints and concerns about “outstanding” early years providers were logged after their most recent inspection.
When university metrics backfire: what REF, TEF and NSS can learn from academic gaming behaviours
Performance metrics are meant to improve universities. But when metrics become targets, they can start to reshape the behaviours they are supposed to measure.
Inspection materials updated ahead of September 2026
Ofsted has today published the first of our annual updates to the education inspection toolkits and operating guides.
The key changes to Ofsted inspection for 2026-27
Ofsted publishes updated grading toolkits and guides for inspectors coming into effect from September.
Ofsted: The key changes to school inspection from September 2026
Ofsted inspectors will look more closely at whether pupils with “barriers to their learning or wellbeing” are achieving well in schools from September.
Ofsted to test new SEND inclusion cash plans
Colleges and training providers receiving new SEND inclusion funding will have to show inspectors how the money is improving outcomes for students under updated Ofsted rules coming into force this September.
Minister suggests Ofsted could inspect new school food standards
New school food standards “will have to be monitored” by Ofsted, a health minister has suggested.
School paperwork surges due to ‘horrendous’ Ofsted workload
Around half of secondary schools have already produced extra documents to prepare for the new inspections.
The purpose of school inspection is what it does
Just as teachers don’t always do what their leaders hope they’ll do, neither do schools always behave in ways system leads expect.
School based nurseries 'far more likely' than PVI providers to receive an Ofsted ‘needs attention’ grade
An investigation by National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) suggests that far more schools with early years provision are receiving ‘needs attention’ grades, than private or voluntary settings.
Ofsted to include safer sleep in inspections – early years minister Olivia Bailey
Ofsted will now consider safe sleep practices as a routine part of inspection, alongside an update to safe sleep requirements in the early years curriculum from September.
Censured academy trusts continue to slide into the red
Almost half of ailing academy trusts censured by ministers after registering losses of up to several million pounds have continued their financial slide, a Schools Week investigation has found.
‘This one might have legs’: Inside Ofsted’s decision to inspect school that postponed MP visit
Ofsted boss Martyn Oliver ordered watchdog staff considering inspecting a school that postponed an MP’s visit to move “as quickly as you can” as “this one might have legs and we need to be in front of it”.