Ofsted Round-Up: Reflections from the Annual Report & Do Now Tasks

Introduction

The release of Ofsted’s Annual Report last week showed that the final year of the “overall effectiveness” grading system closed on a pretty positive note for FE, skills and apprenticeships.

The task now is to close the progression gaps faced by disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, strengthen careers education and employer engagement in the post-16 phase and maintain apprenticeships and adult learning as central pillars of any national skills strategy, all under a different inspection framework.

Here’s a practical “do-now” list framed around the new toolkit and what the 24/25 Annual Report is signalling for FE & Skills.

Treat inclusion as a whole-provider strategy, not a bolt on

The Annual Report makes inclusion, disadvantage and vulnerability the central narrative of the year, with a clear call for earlier identification of need, earlier intervention and evidence-led support, especially for those at risk of dropping out post-16.

The toolkit turns that into a graded evaluation area - Inclusion (whole-provider level), covering disadvantaged learners, those with SEND/high needs, learners known to social care, and those previously NEET.

Do now:

• Identify who your vulnerable / disadvantaged cohorts actually are (free school meals history, low income, SEND/EHC, NEET re-engagers, young carers, care leavers etc) and how you track them across programme.
  
  
• Conduct an audit of support to understand how clearly it is documented (start of programme assessment, reasonable adjustments, mentoring, mental health, etc), and who is involved in the process – are your learners given the opportunity to make their own decisions about the support they may need?
  
  
• Build a simple “Inclusion Impact Pack” for SLT and governors: participation, retention, achievement and destinations split by key groups, not just overall averages.
  
  
• Check that learner voice from these groups is systematically gathered and fed into curriculum, support and strategic decisions (the toolkit expects inspectors to see that you’re actively seeking and acting on experiences of different groups).

Build self-evaluation around the toolkit evaluation areas

The toolkit is now the core reference for inspection and leaders can use it for self-evaluation and continuous improvement.

Do now:

• You may wish to consider reviewing your SAR/QIP (or “self-evaluation and improvement plan”) so sections line up with the toolkit evaluation areas (Safeguarding, Inclusion, Leadership & Governance, Curriculum/Teaching, Achievement, Participation) and ensure every strength or weaknesses explicitly mapped to one of these headings.
  
  
• Focus on impact, not description - use short, evidence backed statements that show what has improved, for whom, and how you know (particularly for disadvantaged and high-needs learners).
  
  
• Demonstrate the feedback loop; for each priority, show the action taken, the change observed, and the remaining gap; this aligns with the toolkit’s emphasis on continuous improvement.

Move QA from process checking to impact evidence

The toolkit says inspectors will focus on the impact of systems and processes, not the volume of paperwork, and that evidence should come mainly from professional conversation and joint activity, not custom inspection documents.

Do now:

• Re-design observations, learning walks and QA so they explicitly ask: “What difference did this make to learners (especially vulnerable ones)?”

• Stop producing inspection only documents; instead, make sure your normal dashboards, reports and meeting notes already show impact and follow through.
  
  
• Build a simple “You said / We did / Impact” log that pulls together learner voice, employer feedback and staff insights, and what changed as a result

Sharpen careers education and progression pathways (especially for disadvantaged learners)

The Annual Report is blunt: careers education is a weak spot in FE & Skills and this particularly harms learners from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are more likely to drop out of post-16 education or training.

Under the toolkit, this shows up across curriculum, achievement, and participation & development: inspectors will look for how well programmes prepare learners for next steps and careers, not just qualifications.

Do now:

• Provide a structured, whole-provider framework that ensures CEIAG is planned, sequenced and embedded across programmes rather than delivered through isolated careers sessions.
  
  
• Strengthen your employer alignment with industry, workplace experiences and up-to-date labour-market information improving learners’ readiness for next steps.
  
  
• Improve inclusion by ensuring all learners, particularly disadvantaged groups, receive personalised guidance, exposure to a broad range of pathways, and targeted support to overcome barriers to progression.

Make safeguarding and attendance part of the same story

The toolkit’s safeguarding section is explicit that non-attendance can itself be a safeguarding signal, and expects a system that links absence, risk and support.

The Annual Report links disadvantage, absence and ultimately NEET outcomes – the “cumulative effect.”

Do now:

• Ensure attendance data is visible at governor, SLT, curriculum and tutor level with clear thresholds for escalation.
  
  
• Integrate attendance reports into safeguarding meetings: who is persistently absent, what do we know about them, what’s been tried, what next?
  
  
• Make sure learner-facing messages about attendance are tied to safety, progress and future options, not just compliance.

Re-set leadership & governance expectations around inclusion and skills

The toolkit’s leadership and governance section asks how leaders and governors ensure every learner can “belong and thrive”, with particular emphasis on disadvantaged learners, those with SEND/high needs and those known to social care.

For FE colleges and designated institutions, there is now a separate evaluation area on contribution to meeting skills needs, focusing on engagement with employers, civic and community stakeholders.

Do now:

• Re-shape board and SLT reporting packs around:
  • inclusion (who’s in, who’s left, who’s progressing)
  • local skills needs (which sectors, which levels, which gaps)
  • the quality of curriculum, not just funding and volumes.
• Introduce a governance challenge log that records questions, responses and impact -especially around inclusion, progression and participation.
  
  
• Show how you work with employers, local authorities, LSIPs, combined authorities and community partners to shape your offer and progression routes.

Make “everyday practice” inspection-ready

The toolkit says:

• inspectors will rely heavily on joint activity and professional conversations;
• they do not want bespoke inspection paperwork.

That means inspection readiness needs to be strong, coherent and well-explained.

Do now:

• Practise “toolkit-style” conversations with middle leaders and curriculum leads:
  • Safeguarding: “Talk me through how we keep X group safe and how we know it works.”
  • Inclusion: “Which learners face the greatest barriers here? What do we do differently for them?”
  • Curriculum & achievement: “How do we know learning is sticking and leading to good outcomes?”
• Ensure staff can confidently explain the intent, implementation and impact of their programme in plain language, linked to real examples.
  
  
• Sense check that what’s written in policies (inclusion, teaching, assessment, behaviour, careers) is recognisably what happens day to day in lessons, reviews and support.

Be intentional and cautious with AI and EdTech

The Annual Report notes the rapid rise of AI use in education and FE, and flags both opportunities for reducing workload and risks around misuse or over-reliance.

While the toolkit doesn’t have a separate AI section, inspectors will absolutely look at how any digital tools affect safeguarding, assessment validity, workload and inclusion.

Do now:

• Have a simple AI/digital tools policy that:
  • is grounded in safeguarding and academic integrity
  • addresses accessibility and disadvantage (who is left out if a tool is essential)
• Make sure staff and learners know when AI is allowed, how, and where it is not, especially for assessed work.

Be ready to show how any AI/EdTech you use contributes to better teaching, support or inclusion, rather than creating new gaps.

Final Thoughts

At AiVII we are looking forward to seeing the first reports which are due to be released shortly and keeping a close eye on how the progression gaps faced by disadvantaged and vulnerable learners, as well as all the other areas above, are reported on. 

You can access the full Annual Report here: Annual report – Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2024/25

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