Beyond APDR: Context, Impact and Action
The final article in a 4-part series reviewing Ofsted’s Inclusion Toolkit via the graduated approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
The Inclusion Question Leaders Can No Longer Avoid
A provider that has been following our series and is confident in how they handle the Assess, Plan, Do and Review demands of the graduated approach, would be able to speak confidently about their inclusion efforts. They can describe how learners are assessed, how support is planned, and how reasonable adjustments are delivered.
But when Ofsted asks the most important question “How do you know it’s working?”, they may still struggle to answer with confidence.
Not because they are doing the wrong things.
But because the evidence that matters is scattered, inconsistent, or only assembled at the point of inspection.
This is where the graduated approach, on its own, reaches its limit.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review is an essential operational cycle. But Ofsted’s renewed focus on leadership and governance requires something more: a way for leaders to step back, see the whole picture, and make informed decisions at scale.
This is why we include an additional element in our interpretation of the graduated approach: Context, Impact and Action.
Why Add Context, Impact and Action?
APDR works exceptionally well at learner level. It helps staff identify needs, plan support, deliver adjustments and review progress.
But Ofsted’s Inclusion judgement does not stop at learner-level practice. Inspectors also evaluate whether leaders:
- Understand how inclusion operates across the organisation
- Can evidence impact over time, not just intent
- Know where practice is strong, patchy, or fragile
- Act decisively when risks emerge
These are governance questions, not classroom ones. The problem many leaders face is not a lack of activity but a lack of clarity. Support will be happening, but leaders cannot always see:
- Whether inclusion is consistently embedded everywhere or reliant on a few individuals
- Whether support is leading to improved outcomes
- Whether evidence is strong enough to stand up to inspection or audit
- Where they should intervene and where they should not
APDR generates activity while “Context, Impact and Action” turns that activity into leadership intelligence.
Context: Understanding Inclusion at Scale
Context is about seeing inclusion as a system, not as a collection of individual stories.
At leadership level, this means being able to answer questions such as:
- How many learners currently have identified additional needs?
- How many are actively receiving support?
- Where is support being reduced or stepped down appropriately?
Are there differences between cohorts, curriculum areas or delivery models?
Without this context, leaders are forced to rely on anecdote:
- “We support learners well.”
- “Our teams are doing the right things.”
Context replaces reassurance with reality.
It allows leaders to spot patterns early – before they become inspection risks – and to move conversations away from opinion and towards evidence.
Impact: Moving Beyond Activity to Outcomes
Ofsted is explicit that inclusion is judged on impact, not effort. Leaders are expected to understand whether support:
- Reduced barriers to learning
- Improved engagement, confidence or progress
- Supported learner independence over time
- Represented an appropriate and proportionate response
This is where many providers struggle.
Support records often focus on what was done, not what changed. Evidence may exist, but it lives in spreadsheets, case notes, or local systems that do not connect.
Impact brings coherence.
It allows leaders to see whether learners are progressing through support pathways, whether support is being reviewed and adapted, and whether it is being reduced when appropriate: a key indicator of effective inclusion.
Crucially, impact also protects providers. It highlights where “above-and-beyond” support is being offered without a clear outcomes story. This is an audit risk and a signal of potentially ineffective interventions.
Action: Turning Insight into Governance Decisions
Context and impact only matter if they lead to action. This is the stage where leadership responsibility becomes explicit.
Action means:
- Targeting coaching or CPD where practice is weak
- Intervening where evidence is missing or inconsistent
- Adjusting strategy where learner engagement is lower than expected
- Holding back funding claims where evidence is unclear
- Strengthening areas of risk before inspection
This is not about control for its own sake. It is about creating predictability and confidence for leaders, governors and inspectors alike.
When Context, Impact and Action are embedded into regular review rhythms, inclusion stops being something leaders hope is working and becomes something they know is working.
Why This Matters for Ofsted and Governance
Ofsted signals that leaders should not be assembling inclusion evidence for the first time at inspection. Inspectors expect leaders to draw on the same information they use throughout the year to drive improvement.
Context, Impact and Action supports exactly that.
It allows providers to:
- Feed inclusion evidence directly into SARs and QIPs
- Brief governors with clarity rather than caveats
- Walk inspectors through real learner journeys with confidence
- Demonstrate that inclusion is monitored, reviewed and acted upon systematically
Most importantly, it keeps the inclusion narrative honest. Leaders can say not only where they are strong, but where they are still improving, something Ofsted values far more than over-polished claims.
From Operational Practice to Strategic Confidence
Across this series, we have explored how providers can strengthen:
- Assess: early and accurate identification
- Plan: turning insight into a coherent strategy
- Do + Review: delivering support and evidencing impact
Context, Impact and Action as an extension to ADPR, it is what allows APDR to stand up at leadership and governance level.
It is the difference between doing inclusion and leading inclusion.
And under Ofsted’s new expectations, that difference matters more than ever.
By Chris Quickfall, CEO of Cognassist
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