As of November 2025, inspections in England follow the updated Ofsted Inspection Framework 2025, bringing some of the most significant changes schools have seen in many years. The government sets the Ofsted Inspection Framework and provides regulatory oversight, ensuring that all schools meet national standards and legislative requirements. The new framework has implications for how schools approach school website requirements and what they must publish online.

Early conversations have focused on grading, report cards, and the wider inspection process. Yet one area is already becoming increasingly relevant: the school website.

Websites play a central role in how information is shared with parents, how context is communicated, and how provision is presented publicly. As the inspection system changes, the way schools use their websites matters more than ever.

This article explains what the new framework means in practical terms, how it affects school websites, and what schools can review now to feel better prepared, without adding unnecessary pressure.

A new approach to school inspection from November 2025

The key changes in the new Ofsted inspection framework took effect on 10 November 2025, replacing previous arrangements and reshaping how inspections are conducted and reported.

The Ofsted process is a formal education inspection, designed to evaluate educational providers against updated procedures and principles. One of the most noticeable changes is the move away from single-word judgements. Instead, schools will receive a report card that includes:

• grades across multiple evaluation areas
• short narrative explanations for each grade
• clearer information for parents
• greater recognition of a school’s context

This approach is intended to provide a more balanced and informative picture of school performance.

Under the new system, all inspections will be full, graded inspections. Ungraded inspections are removed, and the new inspection model will be used with immediate effect.

During the early phase, Ofsted is prioritising schools that volunteer to take part, supported by pilot inspections used to test and refine the model.

How inspections are being carried out under the new framework

Under the updated inspection methodology introduced from 10 November 2025, inspections are designed to feel more structured, transparent, and collaborative. Inspectors will inspect schools using the updated framework criteria, evaluating quality, safety, and compliance against specific standards.

Inspection teams may now be larger, allowing inspectors to focus more closely on regional information and context-specific data. This helps ensure schools are viewed within the communities they serve, rather than through national data alone.

Inspectors receive additional training, including mental health awareness, and inspections operate within clearer and more reasonable timeframes. This approach is intended to reduce unnecessary pressure on staff and support professional dialogue throughout the inspection process.

Schools can also nominate a senior member of staff to act as a key point of contact during inspection. This supports clear communication and helps maintain a calm, collaborative working relationship throughout the visit.

These changes reflect a wider aim of the framework: reducing high-stakes pressure on school leaders and supporting a more constructive inspection culture.

What schools will be evaluated on

Under the inspection framework, schools will be assessed across six core evaluation areas:

1. Leadership and governance
2. Curriculum and teaching (including teaching achievement attendance)
3. Attendance and behaviour (including achievement attendance and behaviour personal development)
4. Achievement (with a focus on achievement attendance)
5. Personal development and wellbeing (covering behaviour personal development)
6. Inclusion

Inclusion is a dedicated evaluation area in the 2025 framework, focusing on support for disadvantaged pupils and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

In addition, ‘inclusion curriculum’ and ‘safeguarding inclusion curriculum’ are key components of the evaluation, emphasising the importance of inclusive practices and safeguarding measures within the curriculum to ensure all pupils’ well-being and progress.

Schools will be awarded grades on a 5-point scale across a wider range of areas and will receive a detailed report card instead of single-word judgements during inspections.

Safeguarding will also be judged separately as a stand-alone area, recorded as either ‘met’ or ‘not met’ in the new report card system.

This separation reflects a clear shift. Safeguarding remains fundamental, but it no longer automatically determines all other outcomes.

For maintained nursery schools, early years providers, primary schools, secondary schools, and sixth form provision, the framework reflects differences in age phase, provision, and expected standards.

The aim is not uniformity, but clarity.

A new grading scale

The new grading scale introduces five categories:

• Exceptional
• Strong standard
• Expected standard
• Needs attention
• Urgent improvement

Each grade is accompanied by narrative feedback explaining why it was awarded. The new scale is designed to reflect the quality of education and provision, ensuring that high standards and legal compliance are clearly communicated.

This matters for communication. Schools will no longer be summarised by a single word. Instead, parents and stakeholders will see a fuller explanation of strengths, priorities, and improvement areas.

The new framework aims to provide a more detailed overview of strengths and weaknesses in schools.

That shift directly affects how schools present themselves online.

Why school websites matter more under the new inspection system

School websites already serve many purposes. Under the Ofsted inspection framework 2025, their role becomes even more visible.

Websites act as:

• a public record of information
• a communication channel for parents
• a source of context
• a reflection of leadership and organisation
• supporting evidence for inspectors

Inspectors use a school inspection toolkit, or inspection toolkits, to review online information before visiting. Schools can use these toolkits to ensure their websites meet inspection criteria and align with Ofsted’s expectations.

Before inspectors arrive on site, they review publicly available information. This includes curriculum content, policies, safeguarding information, inclusion content, and leadership details.

A website does not replace conversations during inspection, but it shapes early impressions. Referring to the toolkit helps schools align their website content with inspection expectations.

Clear information builds confidence. Confusing information raises questions.

Inspection is about context, not just outcomes

A strong theme running through the new framework is context.

Inspectors are expected to consider the school’s context, including:

• local challenges
• community needs
• pupil demographics
• SEND provision
• staffing circumstances
• wider pressures

Ofsted inspectors will focus on understanding the school’s context during inspections, ensuring that each school’s unique environment and circumstances are accurately assessed.

This is a meaningful change.

Many schools deliver strong provision in complex environments, yet that context is rarely visible online. Websites often focus on compliance documents while missing the wider story of the school.

The report card system is designed to explain how schools operate, not just what data shows.

Websites can quietly support this by helping parents and inspectors understand the school’s environment.

Inclusion becomes a dedicated evaluation area

One of the most significant Ofsted changes is the introduction of inclusion as a separate evaluation area.

Inclusion focuses on how schools support:

• disadvantaged pupils
• children with SEND
• access to learning
• equitable experiences

This goes beyond SEND policies alone. It includes how inclusion is embedded across curriculum, teaching, behaviour, and wider provision. A new toolkit is available to help schools evaluate their inclusion provision, ensuring alignment with inspection criteria without requiring additional evidence or work.

From a website perspective, this raises important questions:

• Is SEND information easy to find?
• Are contacts clear?
• Is support explained in accessible language?
• Is inclusion visible across the site, not hidden in one document?

Families often use school websites as their first source of reassurance. Clear inclusion information builds trust long before inspection takes place. As a parent of a child with additional needs, I have long argued that your website is mission-critical for reassuring parents and helping them find the right place for their child. The inspection framework goes some way to catch up with that thinking.

Schools are encouraged to align their improvement plans with the six core areas outlined in the new framework.

Inclusion as a central focus

The new Ofsted inspection framework places strong emphasis on inclusion as a core part of school provision.

Inclusion is now evaluated as a dedicated area, with inspectors considering how schools support disadvantaged pupils and those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This includes access to learning, participation in wider school life, and how support is embedded across everyday practice.

Inspectors are expected to take full account of relevant policies and legislation relating to safeguarding, equality, and diversity. In addition to statutory requirements, non statutory guidance can provide additional best practices to support inclusion and help schools demonstrate effective provision. This ensures that inclusion is considered as part of whole-school culture, rather than treated as a standalone document exercise.

For many schools, this reinforces the importance of clearly and consistently demonstrating inclusion, not only in policy documents but also through accessible website content that helps families understand how support works in practice.

Safeguarding judged separately

Safeguarding will continue to be a priority, judged independently as either met or not met.

Inspectors will take full account of relevant legislation, policies, and statutory duties.

A new “Suspend and Return” approach allows minor safeguarding issues to be addressed within a defined timeframe, reducing unnecessary disruption when issues can be resolved quickly. During inspection, any safeguarding concern identified will be clearly documented and schools will be expected to demonstrate how such concerns are addressed promptly and effectively.

For websites, safeguarding clarity remains essential:

• up-to-date safeguarding policies
• clear reporting procedures
• named safeguarding leads
• easy access for parents and visitors

Clarity matters more than volume.

Safeguarding has not been listed as a requirement on DfE published information on what schools must publish online. We expect that to change with the release of the new framework. In the meantime, it is vital that your website immediately makes safeguarding clear as your highest priority from the moment someone lands on the first page.

Safeguarding and the “Suspend and Return” approach

Under the new system, a “Suspend and Return” approach may be used where minor safeguarding issues are identified. This allows inspections to be paused to give schools up to three months to resolve concerns, rather than immediately triggering formal outcomes where issues can be corrected quickly. In cases where safeguarding issues or other areas of concern require further oversight, monitoring inspections may be used to follow up and ensure improvements are made.

This approach recognises that safeguarding is ongoing work and supports proportionate responses when schools act promptly and responsibly.

Clear, accurate safeguarding information on school websites remains essential, helping inspectors and parents see how procedures operate in practice.

The link between evaluation areas and website content

Many of the six evaluation areas already appear across school websites — often without being intentionally planned.

For example:

Under the 2025 Ofsted inspection framework, the number of ‘deep dives’, detailed inspections of specific curriculum areas, has been reduced. Inspectors now place greater emphasis on the broader context and improvement priorities, so schools should ensure their website content reflects this wider focus rather than just isolated subject details.

Curriculum and teaching

Often shown through subject pages, curriculum overviews, and learning approaches.

Attendance and behaviour

Usually reflected in policies, expectations pages, and communication with families.

Achievement

Sometimes shared through outcomes, case studies, or progress summaries.

Personal development and wellbeing

Often visible in enrichment pages, pastoral support, clubs, and wider life opportunities.

Leadership and governance

Displayed through governance pages, trust structures, and accountability information.

Inclusion

Seen through SEND pages, accessibility information, and support explanations.

When these areas are scattered or inconsistent, the overall picture becomes unclear.

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Common website challenges schools face

Across many schools, similar patterns appear over time:

• pages created by different staff with different approaches
• content added reactively following guidance updates
• policies uploaded without review of structure
• curriculum pages written for professionals rather than parents
• duplicated information across multiple locations

None of this reflects poor leadership. It reflects busy schools.

Yet over time, websites become harder to use.

Small structural improvements can make a significant difference.

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What schools can review ahead of inspections

Preparing for inspection does not require rewriting the entire website.

Useful review steps include:

• checking whether key information is easy to locate within two clicks
• reviewing menus from a parent’s point of view
• grouping related content more logically
• confirming statutory sections are current
• reviewing curriculum pages for clarity
• checking inclusion and safeguarding visibility

These changes support access, understanding, and confidence.

They also reduce last-minute stress.

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How Schudio supports schools

At Schudio, our work has always focused on clarity, structure, and ongoing support.

We support schools and trusts by helping their websites reflect real provision — not by adding pressure, but by removing confusion.

Our approach includes:

Structured content design

We help schools organise information so parents and inspectors can find what they need quickly.

Clear page layouts

Pages are built around how people read and search, not just how documents are stored.

Ongoing compliance support

Schools receive guidance throughout the year, not only during inspection periods.

Trust-wide consistency

For MATs, we support consistent structures across schools, while preserving individual identity.

Practical training and guidance

Workshops explain what matters, why it matters, and how to review content calmly.

Human support

Schools speak to people who understand the education sector and daily school pressures.

Our role is not to prepare schools for inspection outcomes. Our role is to support clear communication.

When information is easy to access, conversations become easier too.

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A calmer inspection culture

The new framework aims to reduce high-stakes pressure and promote a more collaborative inspection culture.

Schools receiving lower grades will be offered immediate support through regional improvement teams, rather than being left without direction.

Improvement is positioned as ongoing, not punitive.

Websites can quietly support this culture by:

• presenting information clearly
• showing intent and organisation
• reducing misunderstanding
• improving transparency

This supports confidence for leaders, staff, parents, and inspectors alike.

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Where schools are now under the Ofsted Inspection Framework 2025

For schools, this change has brought a period of adjustment. The shift to report cards, multiple grades, and clearer narrative feedback has changed how inspection outcomes are read and discussed, both internally and with parents. What is becoming increasingly clear is that inspection is no longer communicated through a single label. Instead, schools are now represented through explanation, context, and evidence across a wider set of evaluation areas.

This change has direct implications for school websites.

Parents are reading inspection outcomes alongside a school’s website content. Inspectors are reviewing publicly available information with a greater focus on clarity and context. School leaders are thinking more carefully about how provision is explained, not just documented.

A clear, well-structured website helps bring all of this together.

Schools are not expected to present perfection. They are expected to communicate clearly, honestly, and consistently.

Small, thoughtful improvements to website structure, content layout, and accessibility continue to make a meaningful difference; both for families and for inspection conversations.

If your school would like support reviewing your website under the Ofsted Inspection Framework 2025, our team is always happy to help guide next steps. Your best first point of resource is the School Website Requirements Guide.