When Ofsted announced its reforms to the school inspection framework, it did so to improve fairness, provide clarity for parents, and increase the focus on inclusion, SEND and leadership pressures.

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Now, six months on from its launch, this is what His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI), who are responsible for delivering it, are saying.

Since the new framework launched, all school-based inspections are now led by HMI. One of the most significant improvements to the framework is the shift to a more nuanced, conversation-led approach to inspection; something we advocated for in our 2025 report: ‘Beyond the framework’. This has enabled deeper engagement with school leaders and allowed HMI to prioritise professional dialogue alongside collecting evidence. Generally speaking, this has been well received across the sector and has enabled more context-driven inspections, which is particularly beneficial for schools serving challenging........

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