Schools are returning for a new academic year with a series of changes to the inspection system to digest, including the scrapping of single-phrase headline grades.

The Department for Education confirmed this week that the overall effectiveness grade for state schools will be halted immediately, and Ofsted inspections will not resume until 23 September.

The watchdog has also set out plans for other significant reforms, including a new education inspection framework for schools and an inspection criterion for inclusion.

However, there is still uncertainty around what the new model for the inspection system will look like, and how and when Ofsted’s plans and other government plans for inspection reform will be introduced.

Here are six questions that remain for schools about the incoming changes to the inspection system.

1. What is the Ofsted report card going to look like?

Ofsted has confirmed that is it has removed the overall effectiveness grade from school inspections and will replace it with a report card from September 2025.

However, what the report card is going to look like is still up for debate.

It is understood that a narrative report from Ofsted could form part of the new model, to provide additional context to parents. It is also possible that DfE school performance data could be included.

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Different versions of the report card model have been suggested, with the Association of School and College Leaders suggesting, in a recent discussion paper, that the report card should be “flexible” and based on a “set of slim standards”.

Ofsted has confirmed that “inclusion” and “safeguarding” will be part of the report card.

This will include assessing how schools are using pupil premium money, and how they support disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Under the safeguarding element, attendance and potential signs of off-rolling will be assessed.

It is not clear whether the existing four sub-judgements against which Ofsted rates schools will be retained, amended or replaced under a new report card. These criteria are: leadership and management, quality of education, personal development and behaviour and attitudes.

In a press briefing announcing the inspection changes yesterday, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver also highlighted that attendance was a national issue that ”should be pulled out and focused on separately”.

2. Who will lead the consultation for the new report card and Ofsted framework?

The decision to scrap Ofsted overall grades was taken by the government, it having been a policy in Labour’s election manifesto. Ofsted has now set out plans to produce a new framework and report card system to replace the existing Education Inspection Framework.

However, Tes understands that it is yet to be decided whether the consultation on producing this new system will be led by Ofsted or whether it will be carried out by the DfE in partnership with the inspectorate.

There are concerns in the sector that if the process is led by Ofsted alone, it might result in the new system being more similar to its predecessor and therefore preserve the status quo.

3. How quickly will schools be inspected under the new model?

The new inspections will start from September next year, but It is not yet clear how long it will take for schools to be reinspected under the new framework once the new report card system is introduced.

This means that schools could have their remaining graded inspection for several years to come.

Ofsted is still working towards the government goal of all schools being inspected by August 2025 under the current inspection framework. It was given extra funding to achieve this in 2021.

The pace at which schools are inspected under the new framework will depend on government spending decisions.

4. When will school safeguarding reviews begin?

The government has pledged to introduce an annual safeguarding review, which will include a check on whether a school is off-rolling pupils.

However, there has not yet been an indication of when these reviews will start.

In its response to the feedback from its Big Listen consultation, Ofsted said it will work with the government to introduce these reviews, which will look “at how schools meet their duties around safeguarding, work to increase attendance and clamp down on off-rolling”.

Sir Martyn said Ofsted will be working with the government on how these reviews will tally with the new inspection framework and report card system.

5. When will MAT inspections start?

Ofsted does not currently have the power to inspect multi-academy trusts. Tes revealed last year that Ofsted had halted its MAT summary evaluations, which are ungraded checks that it carries out on trusts. The watchdog does not receive specific funding for these.

In July the newly elected Labour government’s King’s Speech included plans for legislation to bring MATs into the inspection system, with an accompanying policy paper warning that there is “considerable variation in trust-level performance”.

But the announcements this week have not included any indication of when MAT inspections could be introduced.

In its response to the Big Listen feedback, Ofsted said it wanted to inspect “groups” and will work with the government on upcoming legislation to allow it to inspect MATs.

6. Will Ofsted get more funding to implement reforms?

The next steps for the inspectorate depend on funding decisions made by the government in the spending review this autumn.

This could impact how quickly annual safeguarding reviews and MAT inspections are launched, and also affect the volume of school inspections carried out under the new inspection framework from next September.

Labour’s election manifesto said its planned reforms of Ofsted would cost an additional £45 million.

Sir Martyn said that funding was tight for Ofsted but this was also the case for the sectors it inspects.“We certainly don’t expect to be at the front of the queue,” he added.

“I would be delighted if, in order to carry out Ofsted reform, Labour can find the funding that they alluded to in the manifesto.”

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