Education inspection framework (EIF)
This framework sets out Ofsted's inspection principles and the grades that inspectors give.
Applies to England
Documents
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 renewed framework between February and April 2025.
Our new operating guides and toolkits will be in use from November 2025 for:
Updates to this page
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The renewed education inspection framework has been published and will replace the current framework from November 2025.
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See 'Summary of changes'.
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See 'Summary of changes' for details.
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Updated 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.
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Minor 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.
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The EIF came into effect on 2 September 2019.
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First published.