Ofsted Education Inspection Framework: A Breakdown

On 10th November 2025, the new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF) (opens in a new tab) came into force. In simple terms, the EIF sets the standard for how schools and other education providers in England are inspected. 

For teachers, the EIF can sometimes feel abstract - a document for senior leaders, full of policy language and grading criteria. But at its core, the framework is about one thing: high-quality education that helps every learner thrive. 

This article aims to demystify the Framework, and provide teacher-focused guidance explaining what inspectors look for, how inspections work, and how the 2025 updates could affect your day-to-day teaching.

Key Takeaways

• The new EIF assesses six main areas for schools: Inclusion, Curriculum & Teaching, Achievement, Attendance & Behaviour, Personal Development & Well-being, and Leadership & Governance. (Safeguarding is judged separately from those six areas and is either “Met” or “Not met”.)

• Ofsted no longer gives an overall effectiveness grade: Instead each area is judged individually using a new five-point scale.

• Inspections prioritise how the curriculum is planned, delivered and sequenced - not one-off lesson performance.

• The 2025 update puts greater emphasis on inclusion, wellbeing and staff workload. 

What Is the Education Inspection Framework (EIF)?

The Education Inspection Framework outlines how Ofsted inspects schools, early years settings, and further education providers in England. It defines the principles, standards and evidence inspectors use to evaluate quality and effectiveness.

The framework applies to all types of provision - from nurseries to colleges - ensuring consistency across sectors. It’s built on the core principle that inspection should raise standards and improve lives for all learners, particularly those facing barriers to education.

The EIF was first introduced in 2019, with the latest update being published on 9th September 2025; effectively giving two months for schools to prepare to meet the new standards.

The November 2025 update removes overall grades and introduces a five-point evaluation scale: Exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention and urgent improvement. This shift aims to make inspection feedback more precise, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement rather than reducing schools to a single label. This should provide schools with actionable targets.

What Are the Four Ofsted Judgement Areas?

While the EIF outlines six graded areas for schools, there are four main judgement areas:

Quality of Education

This is the foundation of the framework. Inspectors look closely at how well the curriculum is designed, taught and learned — across subjects and phases. The inspectors will evaluate three key strands:

• Intent – What is the curriculum trying to achieve? Is it ambitious for all pupils?

• Implementation – How is it taught and assessed? Are teachers using effective pedagogical approaches?

• Impact – What do pupils know, understand, and remember over time?

As a teacher, you need to be clear about the “why” behind your lessons. How does each topic fit into the bigger curriculum picture? In line with your school’s assessment policy, you should use ongoing assessment to check understanding and close gaps. Finally, always focus on long-term learning. What is the end goal for your students?

Inspectors are not judging your “performance” but how your teaching contributes to coherent learning over time.

Behaviour and Attitudes

This judgement focuses on whether pupils behave respectfully, follow routines and show positive attitudes to learning. It also looks at attendance, bullying prevention and how behaviour supports learning. Inspectors will look for consistent routines and expectations across classrooms. Teachers should log and follow up on behavioural and attendance issues, and, when appropriate, use restorative approaches to behaviour management.

Personal Development

The Personal Development judgement focuses on how schools help pupils become confident, resilient and ready for life beyond school - ideally shaping them into responsible, engaged citizens who contribute positively to society. 

It goes far beyond academic achievement, encompassing wellbeing, character education and the development of cultural capital.

In practice, this means creating a classroom environment where every learner feels safe to share ideas, take risks and has the opportunity to thrive. Encourage open discussion and celebrate a diversity of opinions, ensuring pupils learn to respect and understand perspectives different from their own. 

Beyond lessons, enrichment clubs and extracurricular activities play a key role in personal growth, so it’s important that inspectors see how your department supports pupils’ broader learning and development through these opportunities.

Leadership and Management

Leadership is about how effectively school leaders set vision, maintain culture and support staff and pupils. Teachers contribute to this judgement through their professional conduct and collaboration. The 2025 framework highlights three leadership priorities:

• Safeguarding and welfare: If this is found to be lacking, the school will be unable to achieve any positive grade.

• Staff workload and wellbeing: Inspectors now ask how leadership supports staff sustainability. This makes sense due to current high staff turnover levels within school settings.

• Inclusivity and equality: Schools must ensure all pupils, including those with SEND or EAL, receive equitable opportunities.

Teachers can support their school through ensuring they carefully follow school policies (e.g. SEND, diversity and safeguarding).

How Inspections Work Under the New EIF

Schools usually receive less than 24 hours’ notice before a Section 5 (full) inspection. Section 8 (monitoring) visits may have slightly different notice periods. 

A standard inspection normally lasts for two days. Often teachers find themselves burning the midnight oil in order to get prepared for the days ahead. This is fine to a certain extent, but it’s important you get a good night’s rest too. Remember: you are highly unlikely to be observed and under the new framework, the inspectors will be less interested in individual lessons.

During the inspection, the inspectors will gather evidence through lesson visits, pupil work scrutiny, and discussions with staff and pupils. In advance of the visit, they will have already spoken to senior leaders about the school’s context and priorities.

The inspectors will undertake “deep dives” into selected subject areas. A “deep dive” is a detailed look at how a subject is taught from start to finish - curriculum intent, sequencing and assessment. Inspectors will speak with subject leads, visit lessons and look at pupils’ work.

Tips for teachers:

• Be ready to talk about what pupils are learning and why.

• Focus on how your lessons build knowledge cumulatively.

• Share examples of how you check understanding and adapt teaching.

What the New EIF Means for Classroom Teachers

The EIF is designed to evaluate what matters most for pupils’ learning and wellbeing, not to catch teachers out. Ultimately, if your everyday teaching is purposeful, inclusive and evidence-based, you’re already meeting the framework’s expectations.

Tips for teachers:

• Know your curriculum: Understand the sequence of what you teach and how it fits within your subject’s bigger picture.

• Focus on learning, not performance: Inspectors aren’t grading individual lessons. Instead, they want to see coherent learning over time.

• Use evidence: Things such as pupils’ books, displays, tracker sheets, school reports and discussions should show progression.

• Be ready to discuss intent: Explain clearly what you’re teaching, why it matters, and how pupils are supported to succeed.

• Show inclusion: Be aware of how your teaching supports pupils with SEND, EAL or other needs.

Updates to the EIF in 2025

The November 2025 Education Inspection Framework introduces several key changes designed to make inspections more consistent, transparent and development-focused:

• Removal of Overall Effectiveness Grade: Schools are no longer rated as “Outstanding,” “Good,” etc. Instead, each evaluation area (Inclusion, Curriculum & Teaching, Achievement, Attendance & Behaviour, Personal Development & Well-being, and Leadership & Governance) is graded individually to provide a clearer picture of strengths and priorities. Each will be graded as either Exceptional, Strong, Expected, Needs Attention or Urgent Improvement.) This allows more nuance and helps schools celebrate strong practice, even where improvement is needed elsewhere.

• Inclusion and Equality as Core Themes. Inclusion now sits alongside safeguarding as a named evaluation area.

• Inspectors explicitly assess how schools meet duties under the Equality Act 2010 (opens in a new tab) and Human Rights Act 1998 (opens in a new tab).

• Leadership and management judgements now consider how effectively leaders protect staff wellbeing and manage workload.

• Safeguarding is now evaluated as Met or Not Met, reflecting its non-negotiable importance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ofsted look for in a lesson?

Ofsted inspectors observe lessons to gather evidence for the overall judgement on the Quality of Education. Their focus is fundamentally on what pupils are learning and remembering, rather than a teacher's performance or lesson structure.

Do teachers need to know all the EIF criteria?

No. Teachers should understand the parts relevant to their role — especially curriculum intent, implementation and inclusion.

How should I prepare for a deep dive?

Know your subject’s curriculum journey - what pupils learn, how knowledge builds, and how misconceptions are addressed. Use examples from your teaching and pupil work.

Do Ofsted grade individual teachers?

No. Individual teachers are not graded. Inspections evaluate the quality of education overall, using classroom visits to inform wider judgements.

Final Thoughts

After the tragic death of headteacher Ruth Perry in January 2023, following an Ofsted inspection, most people in the profession have welcomed the eradication of overall one word grades. 

Another positive change is the reduced emphasis on individual lesson observations - this put a huge strain on teachers; one teacher I spoke to felt it was risible that 10 years of hard work had been summed up in one word. All great teachers know that consistency is key; not one-off performances.

For teachers, the message from the new framework is clear:

• Know your curriculum.

• Teach with clarity and purpose.

• Foster respect, inclusion and curiosity.

• Keep pupils’ learning and wellbeing at the centre.

Do these things and you have nothing to fear. And, remember, the real judges are your pupils. In years to come, ex-students will never forget those teachers who changed their lives for the better.

References

• Ofsted - Education inspection framework: for use from November 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-inspection-framework/education-inspection-framework-for-use-from-november-2025#introduction (opens in a new tab)

• ‘Dark thoughts’: how Ruth Perry’s resolve fell apart after Ofsted visit: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/dec/07/ruth-perry-reading-headteacher-after-ofsted-visit (opens in a new tab)