Pilots Show that the Renewed Inspection Framework Looks and Feels very Different

On the 9th September, we published Ofsted’s renewed approach to inspecting education providers, including those in Further Education and Skills. This followed months of both formal and informal consultation with the sector.

I know for some, the pace of change has created apprehension. But we have been talking about and consulting on these changes since Sir Martyn Oliver took over as Chief Inspector at the beginning of 2024. We have rigorously tested the new approach and are now in the final stages of piloting the framework to ensure a steady and assured roll-out of inspections in November.

We’ve also held a full programme of sector engagement to help professionals familiarise themselves the changes. More than 35,000 people from every type of education provider registered for our webinar programme. I want to thank those of you who came to our FE and skills webinars, I hope you found them helpful. If you couldn’t attend on the day, you can watch all of them back on our YouTube channel.

Piloting the framework

Since we published the renewed inspection framework we have carried out 30 pilot visits. We have made sure the FE pilots cover the breath of the sector and every region. We’ve looked at all types of provision and providers across a wide range of contexts, from small apprenticeship providers to big, multi-site general further education colleges.

And early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many providers have told us that inspection feels very different. Inspectors are finding that the methodology allows them to get to know the provider and their individual context much sooner in the process. Inspectors and providers alike report that the new approach really fosters the professional relationships needed to have open and transparent conversations.

Our new focused inspection areas (IFAs) allow inspectors to follow a thread through different evaluation areas, giving them clearer, sharper insight into the provision. Under the renewed framework, inspection starts with a number of planning calls, where the provider and the lead inspector agree what these focus areas will be. In addition, providers choose three learning walks to take place during the inspection. This means the provider has a real opportunity to help shape the things they want Ofsted to understand, celebrate and validate in their provision. Inspectors and leaders have found that these planning calls offer the opportunity to discuss the unique context of each provider and their learners and apprentices, and the strategic priorities of their leaders.

Chloe Rendall – HMI Further Education and Skills, said:

“I really enjoyed using the planning calls to understand what the provider wanted to celebrate about their setting. And it was lovely to then be able to validate that against where they told me they were in toolkits during the pilot inspection.”

Julia Arechiga, the Deputy Principle for Curriculum and Innovation at Kirklees College, who recently had a pilot inspection told us that:

“The new toolkit marks a major shift, raising the bar and moving away from the familiar framework we’ve used for over a decade, and adjusting to a new system always takes time. We found the planning process to be valuable, helping the Lead Inspector understand our organisation and set the right context. By collectively agreeing the inspection focus areas with the inspection team we were able to showcase the college, and the inspectors’ open approach encouraged honest and constructive discussions.”

Another key component in ensuring our renewed framework gets off to a steady and assured start is our extensive and comprehensive training package for inspectors. We recently held 3-day conference where inspectors practised running an inspection, from the initial preparation and planning all the way through to report writing. All our employed His Majesty’s Inspectors will have been part of at least one and many will have taken part in numerous pilot inspections by the time inspections begin in November. This gave us a great opportunity to make sure everyone was fully versed in the renewed framework and confident about applying our new methodology.

Understanding the new evaluation grades

I also want to briefly discuss the new evaluation grades. It’s important to highlight that these do not directly reflect the previous inspection grades. It is not possible to match the new 5-point grades with the previous 4-point grades. The new expected standard grade is a high bar, based on government expectations on providers. We are expecting a much greater spread of grades across the new evlauation areas (up-to 16 in FES) and this will enable learners, parents and senior leaders to understand a provider’s strengths and areas for improvement.

As I end this article, I would like to encourage all of you to take some time to get familiar with the toolkits and operating guides that are relevant to you. And I would encourage you to access one of our webinars if you haven’t already. Finally, I want to thank everyone who has responded in our consultations, met with Ofsted staff or taken part as volunteers in testing and piloting, it has all been vital to the development of this framework and we couldn’t have done it without you.

By Denise Olander, Deputy Director, Post-16 Education, Training and Skills at Ofsted