Education inspection framework (EIF)

This framework sets out Ofsted’s inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make.

Documents

Education inspection framework

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Summary of changes

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Details

The education inspection framework sets out how Ofsted will inspect state schools, further education and skills providers, non-association independent schools and registered early years settings in England.

Read our inspecting the curriculum guidance, which explains how inspectors will look at the quality of education.

You can also read individual handbooks for:

• maintained schools and academies
• further education and skills
• non-association independent schools
• registered early years settings

We ran a consultation on the framework and draft handbooks between January and April 2019.

Published 14 May 2019
Last updated 23 July 2021 – hide all updates

1. 23 July 2021Updated to link to the ‘Conduct during Ofsted Inspections’ guidance, which sets out the expectations for inspectors and providers on inspection. To avoid repetition, we have removed from this guidance the 2 paragraphs about expectations for inspectors and providers.
2. 19 April 2021Minor amends to set out an expectation that inspectors will agree safety protocols to ensure the inspection is completed in a COVID-19-secure way, and to highlight that inspection remit handbooks have been updated to reflect the context of the pandemic.
3. 2 September 2019The EIF came into effect on 2 September 2019.
4. 14 May 2019First published.