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How Ofsted inspects personal development and wellbeing

Understand how Ofsted will inspect personal development and wellbeing in your school under the 2025 framework, and the key evidence it will consider. Use our self-evaluation tool to review your current provision.

Last reviewed on 10 September 2025See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 38293
Contents
  1. Personal development and wellbeing is evaluated on a 5-point scale
  2. What Ofsted is looking for
  3. How you'll be graded
  4. How Ofsted will gather evidence
  5. Use our self-evaluation tool to review your provision against the framework
  6. Next steps

Personal development and wellbeing is evaluated on a 5-point scale

Personal development and wellbeing is 1 of the evaluation areas that appear on your school’s inspection report card (see under 'New report cards' in our summary of changes). Each area will be graded using Ofsted’s new 5-point grading system, with Ofsted expecting most schools to attain at least an ‘expected standard’ in each evaluation area. The exception is safeguarding, which is either 'met' or 'not met'.

During the planning call, the lead inspector will ask you to evaluate your school’s strengths and successes, and your priorities for improvement, including where you believe you currently sit in terms of the 5-point grading scale for each evaluation area.

The grades are:

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

'Personal development’ was a judgement area under the previous school inspection system. ‘Inclusion’ was previously considered part of this judgement, but has now been pulled out into its own evaluation area.