3 September 2024:

• 23 September - graded inspections resume.

• 7 October - ungraded inspections resume. There will be no deep dives in ungraded inspections.

• The inspection framework has not changed.

• Single word overall effectiveness gradings have been scrapped for schools (but not early years settings or independent schools). Single word judgements will still be provided for the four sub-judgments (quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management).

• Schools will continue to be judged on whether their safeguarding is effective.

• Schools that have already been inspected and received a headline grade will retain it until their next inspection.

• Ofsted will give leaders notice of inspections on a Monday. Headteachers will know by Monday afternoon if an inspection is planned for that week. Inspectors will then visit schools on a Tuesday and Wednesday only. This is a trial for the autumn term.

• If a school is ‘good’ or better in all other areas but fails in safeguarding, and inspectors think the leadership has the capacity to fix this, they can call the inspection incomplete and return within three months to complete it, withholding judgment in the meantime.

• At present, government intervention is triggered if a school is rated ‘requires improvement’ in two or more consecutive inspections ("coasting schools"). The new government is now calling them “struggling”, and instead of facing academisation or rebrokering, they will get “targeted support” from a high-performing school. This policy will be introduced immediately, except for ‘coasting’ schools already due to convert this term.

• Ungraded inspection reports will no longer say, ‘this school continues to be a good /outstanding school’. New wording will be confirmed in due course.

• Monitoring inspections will make clear when a school is no longer causing concern but will not use the terms ‘requires improvement’, ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’.

• Report cards are to be introduced in September 2025. The government said the report cards will give parents a “full and comprehensive assessment of how schools are performing and ensure that inspections are more effective in driving improvement”.