Ofsted’s plans: 2021 phased return to full inspection
Guidance and details of Ofsted’s plans as part of a phased return to full inspection.
State-funded schools
The full programme of graded school inspections resumes in autumn 2021. Some inspections under the education inspection framework restarted on 4 May.
- School inspection handbook
- 1 October 2021
- Guidance
- Section 8 school inspection handbook
- 1 September 2021
- Guidance
- Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS
- 15 December 2021
- Guidance
Further education and skills
Throughout the summer term, we carried out new provider monitoring visits (NPMVs) to new further education providers that had not yet received a monitoring visit.
We will continue to carry out emergency monitoring visits or full inspections of providers where serious concerns are identified, and will continue with inspection activity in prisons.
On 4 May we resumed monitoring visits to providers graded ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’, where appropriate.
Full education inspection framework (EIF) inspections of new providers that have had an NPMV also began in the summer term.
- Further education and skills inspection handbook
- 1 September 2021 Guidance
Early years and childcare
We resumed on-site inspections of registered early years providers under the education inspection framework on 4 May.
- Early years inspection handbook
- 15 December 2021 Guidance
- Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS
- 15 December 2021 Guidance
- Carrying out Childcare Register inspections
- 2 December 2020 Guidance
- Childminder agencies: inspection guidance
- 17 June 2021 Guidance
Children’s social care
Ofsted returned to carrying out routine inspections for all settings inspected under the SCCIF (social care common inspection framework) on Monday 12 April 2021.
- Social care common inspection framework (SCCIF)
- 19 March 2021 Collection
Non-association independent schools
All inspections of non-association independent schools will continue to take place as commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE).
The full programme of graded school inspections will resume in autumn 2021. The inspection cycle will be extended by 4 terms. This means that non-association independent schools that were due to be inspected before 31 July 2021 will now receive an inspection before 31 December 2022.
From the start of the summer term 2021, a school’s standard inspection may be brought forward if a school significantly improves or declines at an additional inspection, in line with our handbook (see paragraph 50). This was a strongly supported proposal in our public EIF consultation.
Additional inspections will continue in full.
- Independent schools inspection handbook
- 1 October 2021 Guidance
- Additional inspections of independent schools: handbook for inspectors
- 20 September 2021 Guidance
Local authority children’s services
In May, we restarted routine monitoring visits for local authorities (LAs) rated as inadequate.
Since then we have restarted:
- regular focused visits to local authorities we have concerns about, and/or those we have not visited in some time
- standard inspections, prioritising inadequate LAs that are likely to move out of that grade
From the autumn, we will resume short inspections to LAs previously judged good or outstanding.
- Inspecting local authority children’s services from 2018
- 3 December 2021 Guidance
Area SEND
From April 2021, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) started revisiting areas where we had significant concerns about SEND provision when we last inspected them.
From June, we began carrying out inspections of local areas that have not yet been inspected under the current SEND framework. The focus of inspections remains the same: how effectively local areas identify and meet the needs of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, inspectors will take into account the impact of the pandemic on the local SEND system. We will discuss with local area leaders how to carry these out safely, in line with the latest government guidance, and may carry out some activities remotely. See the updated Area SEND inspection guidance for more information.
- Area SEND inspection: guidance for inspectors
- 7 May 2021 Guidance
Secure training centres
- Inspecting secure training centres: framework
- 19 March 2021 Guidance
Initial teacher education (ITE)
Ofsted’s ITE inspections began on 4 May.
- Initial teacher education (ITE) inspection framework and handbook
- 15 December 2021 Guidance
Cafcass
- Inspecting Cafcass: framework
- 17 March 2021 Guidance
Other guidance and information
- Education inspection framework (EIF)
- 23 July 2021 Guidance
- Ofsted’s return to routine inspection activity
- 4 May 2021 Impact assessment
Published 7 December 2020
Last updated 31 August 2021 – hide all updates
- 31 August 2021 Updated the ‘Non-association independent schools’ section to clarify that the inspection cycle will be extended by 4 terms.
- 7 December 2020
31st Aug 2021: Guidance and details of our plans from January 2021 as part of a phased return to full inspection.
State-funded schools
The full programme of graded school inspections will resume in autumn 2021, but some inspections under the education inspection framework restarted on 4 May.
- School inspection handbook
- Guidance
- Section 8 school inspection handbook
- Guidance
- Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS
- Guidance
Further education and skills
Throughout the summer term, we will continue to carry out new provider monitoring visits (NPMVs) to new further education providers that have not yet received a monitoring visit.
We will continue to carry out emergency monitoring visits or full inspections of providers where serious concerns are identified, and will continue with inspection activity in prisons.
On 4 May we resumed monitoring visits to providers graded ‘inadequate’ and ‘requires improvement’, where appropriate.
Full education inspection framework (EIF) inspections of new providers that have had an NPMV also began in the summer term.
- January 2021: further education and skills providers
- Guidance
- Further education and skills inspection handbook
- Guidance
Early years and childcare
We resumed on-site inspections of registered early years providers under the education inspection framework on 4 May.
- Early years inspection handbook
- Guidance
- Ofsted EIF inspections and the EYFS
- Guidance
- Carrying out Childcare Register inspections
- Guidance
Children’s social care
Ofsted returned to carrying out routine inspections for all settings inspected under the SCCIF (social care common inspection framework) on Monday 12 April 2021.
Non-association independent schools
All inspections of non-association independent schools will continue to take place as commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE).
The full programme of graded school inspections will resume in autumn 2021. The inspection cycle will be extended by 4 terms. This means that non-association independent schools that were due to be inspected before 31 July 2021 will now receive an inspection before 31 December 2022.
From the start of the summer term 2021, a school’s standard inspection may be brought forward if a school significantly improves or declines at an additional inspection, in line with our handbook (see paragraph 50). This was a strongly supported proposal in our public EIF consultation.
Additional inspections will continue in full.
- Independent schools inspection handbook
- Guidance
- Additional inspections of independent schools: handbook for inspectors
- Guidance
Local authority children’s services
In May, we restarted routine monitoring visits for local authorities (LAs) rated as inadequate.
Since then we have restarted:
- regular focused visits to local authorities we have concerns about, and/or those we have not visited in some time
- standard inspections, prioritising inadequate LAs that are likely to move out of that grade
From the autumn, we will resume short inspections to LAs previously judged good or outstanding.
Area SEND
From April 2021, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) started revisiting areas where we had significant concerns about SEND provision when we last inspected them.
From June, we began carrying out inspections of local areas that have not yet been inspected under the current SEND framework. The focus of inspections remains the same: how effectively local areas identify and meet the needs of children and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, inspectors will take into account the impact of the pandemic on the local SEND system. We will discuss with local area leaders how to carry these out safely, in line with the latest government guidance, and may carry out some activities remotely. See the updated Area SEND inspection guidance for more information.
Secure training centres
Initial teacher education (ITE)
Ofsted’s ITE inspections began on 4 May.
Cafcass
- Inspecting Cafcass: framework
- Guidance
News and press releases
- Education inspections in the summer term
- Press release
- Ofsted to introduce new Cafcass inspections
- Press release
- Ofsted: phased return to inspections
- Press release
- Area SEND inspections to restart
- News story
Other guidance and information
- Education inspection framework (EIF)
- Guidance
- Ofsted’s return to routine inspection activity
- Impact assessment
Published 7 December 2020
Last updated 31 August 2021 + show all updates
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Updated the ‘Non-association independent schools’ section to clarify that the inspection cycle will be extended by 4 terms.
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First published.
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