Ofsted’s New Inspection Documents – What You Actually Need to Know

by Rebecca Butler

So, Ofsted have been busy again! From 10th November 2025, inspections will run a little differently, and there are now four shiny new documents to get to grips with:

  • Education Inspection Framework (EIF) – the big picture of how inspections work across all sectors, including early years.
  • Early Years Inspection Toolkit – the nitty gritty of what inspectors will look for.
  • Early Years Operating Guide – how the inspection itself will run (calls, timings, what to expect).
  • Early Years Inspection Information – a plain-English guide for providers, parents and the public.

It sounds like a lot, but don’t worry,  I’ve broken it down into the bits that actually matter for us day-to-day.


The new inspection areas

 

Inspectors will now look at seven areas:

  1. Safeguarding – this has its own judgement: met or not met.
  2. Inclusion – described as the “golden thread” that runs through everything.
  3. Curriculum and teaching
  4. Achievement
  5. Behaviour, attitudes and routines (including attendance)
  6. Children’s welfare and wellbeing
  7. Leadership and governance

Translation: keep your safeguarding rock solid, show how every child feels included, and be ready to talk about how you lead and improve your setting.


The new report card

Goodbye single grades like Outstanding or Good. Instead, you’ll get a report card with one grade for each area:

  • Urgent improvement (red)
  • Needs attention (amber)
  • Expected standard (green)
  • Strong standard (dark green)
  • Exceptional (blue)

 

Before and during inspection

  • You’ll get a two-part phone call before the inspector arrives. The second call will be about 30 minutes.
  • Inspectors want to see what’s happening in your setting on a normal day – not a “show” day.
  • The focus is on whether children are achieving, belonging, and thriving.

No need to create mountains of new paperwork – they want to see the real deal.


How often?

  • Inspections will now happen every four years instead of six.
  • New providers will be inspected earlier – within 12–18 months of registering.

Basically: keep things ticking over all the time, rather than waiting until year five to panic.

So what should we actually do?

Here are three simple things that will help you feel ready:

  1. Read (or skim!) the four documents – highlight anything that jumps out for your setting.
  2. Do a quick self-check: Safeguarding ✔ Inclusion ✔ Leadership ✔ Where are we already strong? Where could we tweak?
  3. Gather real examples – little stories of how children learn, belong and thrive in your care. These everyday wins speak volumes.


Final thoughts

Yes, the new inspection documents are meant to give us a fuller picture of what we do well – and that feels like a step in the right direction. No longer being reduced to a single word is something we’ve all been asking for, and it’s a chance to show the richness of early years practice.

 

But let’s be honest – many of us are still wondering: Will this really make inspections fairer? Will it finally give consistency between different inspectors? Will parents feel better informed? Will these new grades actually reflect the work we do day in, day out?

The truth is, only time will tell. We’ve been here before with “new frameworks” and “fresh approaches.” What matters most is whether these documents are used in a way that genuinely values our profession, recognises the complexities of early years, and allows children’s experiences to shine through.

For now, what we can do is focus on what’s in our control: keeping our safeguarding strong, making sure every child feels included, and continuing to create joyful, meaningful learning experiences. If we hold onto that, then whatever the report card looks like, we can be confident we’re doing the very best for the children in our care.

 

✨ Oh, and if you’d rather not be glued to your screen trying to flick between all four documents, I’ve put together printed and bound copies (with protective covers) that you can keep handy. They’re available individually or as a pack on my website – perfect for team meetings and the all-important planning call.

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