Guidance

Risk assessment methodology: initial teacher education

Updated 5 November 2025

Applies to England

Introduction

We use risk assessment to ensure that our approach to inspection is proportionate and to focus our efforts where they can have the greatest impact. We apply the methodology described here for initial teacher education (ITE) full inspections and reinspections.

If, in a full inspection, the provider is graded less than the ‘expected standard’ in one or more evaluation areas in any phase they deliver, we will normally return to do a reinspection of those evaluation areas within 12 months of the report card being published.

We inspect providers of ITE on a 4-year cycle. Further information on when an inspection is likely to take place is set out in the Inspection information for initial teacher education (ITE): for use from January 2026.

It is important to note that the risk assessment process is not used to prejudge inspection outcomes.

The risk assessment process

The initial dataset used for risk assessment contains all accredited providers of ITE for the early years, primary and secondary phases that are open. It also includes all known providers of publicly funded ITE for further education (FE) and skills. The routes into teaching/programmes in scope for an ITE inspection are outlined in the Inspection information for initial teacher education (ITE): for use from January 2026.

The timing of inspection is predominantly based on the below factors:

Full inspection:

• the length of time since the provider’s last inspection
• each provider’s latest overall effectiveness grade (if last inspection was before September 2024) for the phases of ITE that they deliver
• known concerns about a provider and/or its ITE provision, where applicable

Reinspection:

• number of evaluation areas graded as ‘needs attention’ per phase in the last full inspection
• number of evaluation areas graded as ‘urgent improvement’ per phase in the last full inspection
• if the provider needs a new cohort to be able to demonstrate improvement in evaluation area(s) graded less than the ‘expected standard’ in the last full inspection

The thematic monitoring visits carried out during the pause to routine inspections in the academic year 2024/25 will not influence the timing of an inspection in the 2025/26 inspection cycle.

Additional risk information

Additional information is incorporated into the risk assessment process and taken into account when making decisions. Additional information includes:

• data published by the Department for Education (DfE) relating to the performance of a provider, such as the proportion of trainees achieving qualified teacher status (QTS), employment outcomes and apprenticeship achievement data
• the views of trainees gathered through the annual trainee online questionnaire (ToQ)
• the size and complexity of a provider, including the number of training partners/partner colleges and the range of programmes offered
• the geographical spread of provision, including training partners/partner colleges
• intelligence about a provider, such as changes to the leadership or structure
• any complaints about a provider’s ITE provision
• information from the DfE, including any interventions