Understanding Ofsted’s New Framework: Key Changes and how SCARF Supports and Contributes to Meeting the Standards
The New Ofsted Inspections: what’s changed?
Launched November 2025, Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Toolkit aims to provide a more detailed and transparent approach to school inspections. There is no single-word judgement, but instead report card-style assessments, aimed at giving a clearer picture of performance across the following inspection areas:
- Safeguarding
- Inclusion
- Curriculum and teaching
- Achievement
- Attendance and behaviour
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Leadership and governance
(Plus Early Years or Post-16 where relevant.)
Updates to how inspectors will gather evidence
- Holistic evidence: schools must demonstrate impact across all areas, not just overall performance.
- Focus on wellbeing and inclusion: personal development and mental health are now central to inspection.
- Contextual understanding: Inspectors consider local challenges, SEND provision, and pupil demographics.
- Continuous improvement: areas marked ‘Needs Attention’ may lead to monitoring follow-up visits and support. Monitoring and support will take place where there are areas marked ‘Urgent Improvement’.
Preparing for the new inspections
The following will help you in reviewing your evidence for Ofsted inspections:
- Review your provision against the new framework: use a structured self-assessment tool to identify strengths and gaps.
- Gather evidence of pupil wellbeing and personal development: this includes mental health initiatives, PSHE (including statutory RSHE) provision, and safeguarding practices.
- Engage staff in the process: ensure all staff understand the new categories and what evidence is required.
- Monitor progress regularly: use surveys and audits to track improvements and respond to emerging needs.
How SCARF supports and contributes to meeting the new standards
Our Revised Ofsted Self-Assessment audit tool aligns with the new framework to help schools evaluate readiness and identify areas for development.
The SCARF curriculum and related tools for RSHE – and the elements of PSHE and Citizenship that go beyond the statutory requirement – will particularly supports you in meeting the standards that the toolkit sets out for Personal Development and Well-being.
But our support goes further than that. SCARF will also support your school in keeping children safe. The section on Ofsted's standards for Safeguarding provides you with evidence of how.
SCARF also supports and contributes to your school meeting the standards of other areas in the toolkit, in particular:
- Curriculum and Teaching Attendance and Behaviour Inclusion
Completing the Ofsted and SCARF self-evaluation enables you to identify and record:
- What's working well
- Key areas for improvement or development
- Sources of evidence indicating how your provision meets the standards
Coram SCARF offers:
- Pupils’ Mental Wellbeing Survey which provides insight into pupil wellbeing and an opportunity for pupil voice, a key focus under the new standards.
- SCARF PSHE (including statutory RSHE) Programme gives you a whole-school approach to PSHE that includes over 360 curriculum resources mapped to statutory RSHE and elements of PSHE beyond it.
SCARF schools should look out for our updated self-evaluation tool, which will be available soon to help prepare for inspections.