Ofsted changes for the 2023/24 academic year: summary

Be clear on the changes Ofsted has made to its inspection handbook for September 2023, so you can keep on top of what's new.

Last reviewed on 15 August 2023
See updates
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 42941
Contents
  1. Culture of safeguarding
  2. Ineffective safeguarding
  3. Provisional outcomes
  4. New section - 'conduct during inspection' 
  5. New section - 'schools raising concerns'
  6. Inspection timings
  7. Inspectors will protect the anonymity of people they speak to
  8. Meetings with staff
  9. Proportionate consideration of evidence from pupils, parents/carers and staff
  10. New section - attendance
  11. Behaviour challenges
  12. Capacity to improve
  13. Separation by sex
  14. Relationships and sex education (RSE) 
  15. Broader definition of 'off-rolling' 
  16. Clarity on terminology
  17. Other minor clarifications and changes

The latest update to the School Inspection Handbook was on 24 January 2024. We've updated the paragraph numbers in this article to reflect the changes and provided an overview of the updates here.

Stay up to date with the latest updates from Ofsted in our article.

Culture of safeguarding

Protect pupils from serious harm, both online and offline Are vigilant and maintain an attitude of ‘it could happen here’ Are open and transparent, share information with others and actively seek expert advice when required Make sure all those who work with pupils are trained well so they understand their responsibilities and the systems and processes the school operates, and are empowered to ‘speak out’ where there may be concerns Actively seek and listen to the views and experiences of pupils, staff and parents/carers, taking prompt but