Inclusion under the new Ofsted framework: what inspectors will look for
From 10 November 2025, under Ofsted’s new inspection framework, inclusion is a standalone evaluation area on your school’s inspection report card. This change puts greater focus on how well schools identify and support pupils who face barriers to learning and/or their wellbeing.
Here’s what inspectors will look for, how inclusion connects to other areas, and how you can start preparing.
Want to go deeper? Read our guide on how Ofsted inspects inclusion.
Inclusion as a standalone evaluation area
Under Ofsted’s 2025 framework, inclusion will be assessed as its own evaluation area – no longer considered under ‘personal development and wellbeing’. Each school will receive a separate grade for inclusion, based on the new 5-point scale:
- Exceptional
- Strong standard
- Expected standard
- Needs attention
- Urgent improvement
Inspectors will look at how well your school identifies and supports pupils who face barriers to learning and/or their wellbeing – such as pupils with SEND and those eligible for the pupil premium or known (or previously known) to children’s social care – and how you promote equality of opportunity for all.
During the planning phone call, you’ll be asked to evaluate your inclusion provision, including where you believe your school currently sits on the 5-point scale.
💡 Tip: Check out our Self-evaluation form (SEF): guidance and template where you can read our step-by-step guidance, then download the inclusion-specific evaluation tool to review your practice against Ofsted’s standards.
What evidence inspectors expect to see
Inspectors will gather evidence around 6 key factors that contribute most to effective inclusion:
- High expectations for all pupils:
Setting and maintaining ambitious expectations for every pupil – including those with SEND, those who are disadvantaged, or those known (or previously known) to children’s social care – so that every learner is supported to reach their potential.
- A culture of early and accurate assessment:
Prioritising early identification of pupils’ needs, and making sure staff have the knowledge and tools to assess pupils accurately and act quickly when extra support is required.
- Ongoing review and action:
Using assessment and progress data to regularly review what’s working, adapt approaches, and reduce barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.
- Specialist involvement where additional expertise is needed:
Working with external specialists to strengthen in-school expertise and make sure pupils get the right support at the right time.
- A clear, evidence-based pupil premium strategy:
Have developed a well-informed, research-led strategy that’s tailored to pupils’ individual needs and is focused on improving outcomes for all disadvantaged learners.
- Strong collaboration with pupils, parents, carers and professionals:
Working closely with pupils, families and professionals so that everyone’s voice is heard and decisions about support reflect pupils’ individual needs and aspirations.
Inspectors will expect to see these approaches embedded across all year groups and tailored to the specific needs of different pupils.
How inclusion links to behaviour, attendance, and curriculum
Under the new framework, inspectors will look at how inclusion is reflected in areas such as behaviour, attendance and curriculum. Here’s what that will mean in practice:
Behaviour: Inspectors will consider how your school’s behaviour culture supports inclusion – ensuring expectations are fair, consistent, and responsive to pupils’ individual needs. They’ll look for evidence of supportive approaches that address underlying causes of problem behaviour.
➡️ See more: How to embed inclusivity in your behaviour policy
Attendance: Inspectors will look at how your school promotes inclusion through its approach to attendance – making sure every pupil is supported to attend regularly, and barriers to attendance are identified early. They’ll expect to see that attendance issues are managed fairly, with staff working together to understand the reasons behind absence rather than relying on sanctions alone.
➡️ See more: Questions Ofsted might ask about attendance and inclusion
Curriculum: Inspectors will look at how well your curriculum enables every pupil, including those with SEND, to access learning and make progress.
➡️ See more: Curriculum accessibility for pupils with SEND: checklist
Examples of inclusive approaches that might work for you
Strong inclusion isn’t about a single initiative – it’s about weaving inclusive thinking through every part of school life. Schools demonstrating strong or exceptional inclusion take a proactive approach: they use data to understand disparities, adapt their curriculum to reflect their pupils, and build a culture where every learner feels seen, supported, and able to succeed.
Here are some practical ways to embed inclusion:
- Review your behaviour data regularly to identify patterns, reduce bias, and make sure expectations are applied fairly across all pupil groups. See How to embed inclusivity in your behaviour policy for guidance on taking a data-driven and restorative approach
- Identify your key inclusion groups and track how they’re being supported – from disadvantaged pupils to those with SEND, looked-after children, or others facing barriers in your local context. Find step-by-step help in Inclusion: understanding pupil groups
- Clarify your school’s vision for SEND in your policies, so it’s clear how pupils with SEND are identified, supported and included in every aspect of school life – and how this links to attendance, safeguarding and the curriculum. Use our SEND policy: model and examples to review or refresh your policy
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