Schools should only get strong Ofsted ratings if they can demonstrate equitable practice, experts urge

Schools should only get the new top Ofsted ratings in any category if they can clearly demonstrate they are ‘strong’ in their equitable and inclusive practice, showing that they are doing well for pupils facing the biggest challenges to their learning, experts have urged.

Researchers have praised the “explicit spotlight” on disadvantage in Ofsted’s proposed new inspection framework and accompanying toolkits.

The experts argue that inspectors need to ensure this is translated into consistent guidance and specific actions in schools. This means being crystal clear about definitions of inclusion and disadvantage, and what specific practices qualify for strong gradings in the framework.

They warn about a “lack of clarity and consistency” in the new framework about what constitutes a particular grading of inclusive practice in each category. This could lead to different interpretations by inspectors and a variation in standards in how schools are inspected.

Lee Elliot Major, Beth Brooks and Anne-Marie Sim, from the University of Exeter and the South-West Social Mobility Commission, have responded to the consultation on the new 2025 Ofsted Framework for school inspections.

They have said the new explicit and prominent mention of inclusion “is to be lauded” and is a welcome shift towards holding schools accountable for how well they support all students, whatever their background. A lack of explicit recognition in previous frameworks has not created sufficient incentive for schools to ensure that children with extra barriers to their learning or complex needs are enabled to thrive.

Socio-economic achievement gaps remained a common feature of many schools rated ‘outstanding’ under the old framework; schools awarded ‘outstanding’ moreover were far more likely to serve richer areas of the country.

Professor Elliot Major said: “For too long, our inspection system has judged schools unfairly. The new framework could be a watershed moment – if we can get the details right. Teachers working in challenging contexts need recognition for the extraordinary roles they play in levelling the education playing field.

“We can’t achieve excellence without equity. The best schools are those that lift every child, not just those from more privileged backgrounds”

The consultation response says: “Shining an explicit spotlight on disadvantage illuminates all learning; equity leads to excellence, raising standards for all children”. It urges Ofsted to consider a broader category of disadvantage alongside the current free school meals and pupil premium indicator, which is too “crude”. This could be encapsulated by terms such as ‘children from under-resourced backgrounds’ or ‘pupils facing extra barriers to their learning’.

The researchers have been developing the Equity Scorecard, an independent toolkit for schools enabling them to evaluate their outcomes for pupils from disadvantaged and under-resourced backgrounds and providing good bets for equitable practice. The scorecard has proved to be highly popular with schools, revealing a widespread appetite among teachers to level the playing field in education. It adopts a similar approach to Ofsted’s proposed report card.

The consultation response urges Ofsted to evaluate schools on the inclusivity of their admissions policies, ensuring they reflect local communities. It also suggests a new Ofsted reference glossary to define disadvantage and inclusion.

The response says: “In our own work promoting equitable practice we have used the term ‘children from under-resourced backgrounds’ as a broader category for educators. Another alternative term that might be used is ‘pupils facing extra barriers to their learning’. Failing to acknowledge the real extent of poverty outside the school gates will lead to unfair judgements of those schools performing well in different contexts, and lead to the same patterns of results observed in previous frameworks, with schools serving middle class communities securing the lion’s share of highest Ofsted gradings.”

Researchers call for schools to be evaluated on the inclusivity of their admissions policies, ensuring they reflect their local communities rather than indirectly discouraging applications from disadvantaged or under-resourced families.

They also urge Ofsted to consider comparisons for schools at both regional and national level to provide more insightful and fairer judgements that lead to improvements in practice.

The consultation response says: “By embedding a clear and consistent focus on inclusion and disadvantage, Ofsted can play a leading role in creating a more equitable education system—one that recognises context, rewards inclusive practice, and raises standards for all pupils. To fulfil this potential, the framework must go further in defining what strong equitable practice looks like and how it will be judged. This will ensure the framework translates into meaningful change in classrooms, ensuring that every pupil—regardless of background—has the opportunity to excel and thrive.”