Ofsted to delay initial teacher inspections to 2025

Ofsted was due to make updates to the existing initial teacher education (ITE) framework for the 2024-25 academic year, but following a request by the Secretary of State, this has been postponed until the 2025-26 academic year.

This is due to more substantive changes being proposed, such as the introduction of report cards from September 2025.

A consultation on changes to inspections will take place in January next year, ensuring that all ITE providers in the next cycle are inspected under the same Ofsted framework. As most ITE inspections take place in the spring and summer terms, most inspection activity is expected to restart from January 2026.

Ofsted will carry out other quality-assurance activity, like thematic monitoring visits, across the full ITE remit, as well as enhanced engagement with the sector during the consultation period, in order to ensure that a focus on high-quality provision in maintained. Further details are scheduled to be communicated to ITE providers soon.

Re-inspections of providers of less than good ITE programmes will continue, in order to conclude activity from the previous inspection cycle.

Early career framework and national professional qualification (ECFNPQ) inspections will continue as normal, as well as Ofsted inspections of other remits.

Ofsted’s chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: “I’m very grateful to everyone working in initial teacher education for their response to our ‘Big Listen’. Postponing the inspection cycle means ITE providers will have their next inspection under the new framework.”