The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services, and Skills (Ofsted), a non-ministerial government department, recently introduced its proposed reforms to the inspection of education providers, with an accompanying consultation also launched. The reforms are set to be applied this year and follow last year’s 'Big Listen' consultation, where stakeholders, including education providers, learners, and parents, shared their views on the effectiveness of Ofsted inspections and areas for improvement.

Ofsted’s reforms are in effect a response to the concerns of key stakeholders and will apply to education providers across Further Education (FE) and the skills system.

What is changing?

A key aspect of the proposed reform is the replacement of the previous single-word judgment - or overall effectiveness grade - with detailed “report cards.” Report cards will now assess providers' performance across several evaluation areas (e.g., leadership, inclusion, achievement, etc.), using a 5-point scale, ranging from ‘causing concern’ to ‘exemplary’ - the highest rating, which highlights best practice that could be shared across the sector.

For FE and skills providers, the draft inspection toolkit includes evaluations at both the whole-provider level (i.e. for the institution, as a whole) and for specific provisions. At the whole-provider level, areas such as leadership, inclusion, and safeguarding will be assessed. At the same time, curriculum, development of teaching and training, learners’ achievement, and participation and development will be evaluated separately for each education provision that the FE and skills provider offers. Additionally, the provider’s contribution to meeting skills needs will be specifically assessed for colleges, sixth-form colleges, and designated institutions.

The inspection process itself is also changing – there will no longer be ‘deep dive’ evaluations of education provision. Inspectors will be attentive to contextual specificities of the education provider. The focus will shift towards self-reflection by education providers, with Ofsted placing greater emphasis on long-term development rather than short-term performance change.

What does this mean for FE and skills providers?

The introduction of report cards should provide a more focused assessment of institutional performance across multiple, and significant dimensions. The replacement of single-word evaluations aligns with sector recommendations urging Ofsted to refine its inspection methods for greater accuracy and fairness.

Nevertheless, the proposed reforms fail to address several of the concerns expressed by sector representatives.

Whilst Ofsted has introduced a separate evaluation criterion on inclusion within its inspection toolkit, disability campaigners and sector representatives questions whether the proposed reform will bring meaningful improvements for learners with SEND and actively promote their full participation in the FE system – this is due to uncertainty surrounding the assessment criteria for inclusion, and how Ofsted aims to evaluate a complex area that is challenging to grade.

Critics have also noted that with FE providers set to be evaluated on multiple factors, inspections are likely to remain punitive and place pressure on providers to deliver full education provision across all streams.

These concerns are particularly significant given the ongoing challenges FE and skills providers face in securing sufficient staff and funding. According to the latest report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), when adjusted for inflation and rising learner numbers, funding levels for FE and skills providers have not seen a substantial increase and remain below 2009–2010 levels. Our Skills 2030 report highlighted the persistent shortage of teaching staff within FE and skills institutions – factors that invariably affect providers’ performance and will, even if indirectly, be reflected in Ofsted’s evaluations. The proposed reforms may even exacerbate teacher retention difficulties, placing additional strain on an already fragile workforce.  

Ofsted’s commitment to restructuring the inspection system reflects concerns raised by stakeholders and demonstrates greater attentiveness to diverse learning needs, institutional contexts, and different types of education provision. For reforms to deliver meaningful change, they must be accompanied by structural reform. If FE providers are to be fairly measured across multiple indicators, Ofsted and the Department for Education must now work to address funding constraints, teacher retention issues, and concerns around inclusivity.