Ofsted’s renewed early years inspection framework: What educators need to know

Putting babies and children first

At the heart of the renewed framework is a clear commitment: putting babies and children first. Ofsted’s overarching ambition remains “raising standards and improving lives,” and the framework is positioned as a way to remove barriers and raise quality, particularly for children who are most disadvantaged or vulnerable, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The framework is built around the Department for Education’s statutory Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), which sets out the minimum requirements for high-quality care and education. Ofsted’s role is to evaluate how settings are meeting and embedding these standards – but also to recognise and validate the work that leaders and educators are already doing to strengthen their provision and improve outcomes for children.

A message that comes through strongly is that children only get one childhood. Those early experiences – language, communication, relationships, play, security – are understood as the foundation for lifelong learning and wellbeing. The framework is therefore designed not as an abstract accountability tool, but as a way of examining how practice in real settings helps babies and children to belong, thrive and achieve.

From fear to collaboration: Resetting the relationship

There has long been a tension in the early childhood profession between the value of external scrutiny and the anxiety that inspection can provoke. Ofsted has publicly acknowledged this and, through its “big listen” work, has committed to resetting its relationship with the profession.

The renewed framework is intended to:

• Feel more collaborative and less like something “done to” settings
• Focus on professional dialogue, reflection and joint exploration
• Celebrate strengths as well as highlight areas for development
• Foreground inclusion and the experiences of disadvantaged children

To shape the new framework, Ofsted consulted parents, providers and sector stakeholders, and carried out around one hundred and forty pilot inspections. Feedback from these pilots informed both the inspection methodology and the training of inspectors, with Ofsted describing the overall response as “extremely positive.”

This idea of collaboration continues into live inspections. Leaders are invited – and encouraged – to give feedback after each inspection, through formal feedback forms and, for a sample of settings, through exit interviews with the Chief Inspector and National Director. Roundtables with sector representatives are also planned to keep listening to the profession’s experience of the renewed framework.

Inspectors’ expertise and preparation

One concern often expressed by educators is whether inspectors truly understand the realities of early childhood practice. Ofsted has responded directly to this. For registered early years provision, inspectors are required to have a background in early years, and no inspector is signed off to work independently until they have been quality assured by an experienced inspector.

Ahead of the renewed framework going live, Ofsted implemented what it describes as its most extensive training programme to date for existing inspectors. Every inspector has gone through a rigorous quality assurance process while they become familiar with the renewed methodology, to support a “steady and assured start”.

This emphasis on preparation and quality assurance is intended to underpin more meaningful, informed conversations with leaders and educators, grounded in a shared understanding of early childhood pedagogy and practice.

The planning call: Replacing the learning walk

One of the most noticeable changes for settings is the replacement of the traditional “learning walk” with a structured planning call.

Key features include:

• Notification time: Settings are now typically notified at around 10:00 in the morning that they will be inspected, rather than during the lunchtime rush, which has often been one of the busiest times of the day.
• Short initial call: The first call is brief – essentially to introduce the inspector and confirm that an inspection is taking place.
• Planned 30-minute planning call: Later the same day, a more detailed call of around thirty minutes takes place.

During the planning call, inspectors and leaders discuss:

• The setting’s context and community
• Leaders’ aspirations and priorities for their setting
• What they feel is working well
• Areas they are actively working to improve

This conversation provides a shared starting point and helps inspectors to arrive on site ready to get straight into the inspection, without needing a separate learning walk. It also allows relationships to begin building before the inspector steps into the provision.

Crucially, this does not remove professional dialogue on the day itself. The framework places reflective conversations and professional dialogue at the heart of inspection, with leaders encouraged to spend as much time as they wish alongside the inspector, sharing observations, discussing practice and co-constructing an understanding of what is happening for children.

Understanding local context and children’s lived experiences

A repeated phrase in Ofsted’s messaging is “context is key.” Under the renewed framework, inspectors are expected to understand the local community and the specific children a setting serves, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all lens.

This happens in several ways:

• The planning call is used to explore the demographics of the children who attend, the needs of families, and the wider community context.
• Inspectors are asked to consider how leaders’ decisions and actions impact all children, with a particular focus on those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs, are known to children’s social care, or face barriers to learning and wellbeing.
• Ofsted’s “Explore an area” tool is used as part of inspection preparation, helping inspectors to understand local patterns, needs and provision. This tool is also available for providers and families to explore.

This approach recognises that quality and equity in early childhood cannot be judged in isolation from the social, economic and cultural realities that shape children’s everyday lives.

Curriculum, pedagogy and the central role of play

Some educators have voiced concern in recent years that inspection might favour more formal, academic approaches over holistic, child-centred pedagogy. The renewed framework aims to address this by being explicit about how curriculum, teaching and play are understood.

During the planning call and throughout the inspection, inspectors seek to understand:

• What leaders want all children to know and be able to do
• How daily routines and experiences are organised to meet children’s needs
• How the curriculum meets the learning and development requirements of the EYFS

The early years toolkit – which is intended for both inspectors and settings – outlines the standards against which provision is evaluated. These are grounded in the EYFS, and Ofsted states that it does not favour any particular pedagogy. The focus is on whether the curriculum and practice are effective for the children who attend that setting.

Importantly, the framework affirms:

• A broad understanding of “teaching” that includes both planned and child-initiated play and activities
• The central role of play, emotional wellbeing and secure relationships in children’s learning
• The importance of positive relationships and secure attachments, particularly for babies and very young children

These themes appear repeatedly in the early years toolkit. For example:

• In curriculum and teaching, teaching is described as encompassing all the ways adults help young children to learn and develop, not just formal instruction.
• In behaviour and attitudes, inspectors consider the extent to which positive relationships support children’s emotional development, and how practitioners build children’s emotional awareness.
• In welfare and wellbeing, inspectors look for safe, welcoming spaces where children can enjoy play and where warm, positive relationships between key persons and babies support secure attachments.

This offers reassurance that child-centred, play-based practice is not only recognised but explicitly valued within the framework.

Workload, paperwork and professional autonomy

Ofsted has made a specific commitment to reducing unnecessary workload and respecting professional autonomy. Within the renewed framework, this translates into some clear messages.

Inspections are:

• Centred on first-hand observation and conversation, not on piles of paperwork
• Focused on what happens for children, rather than on documents produced specifically for inspection

Inspectors may ask to see certain essential documents – such as first aid certificates or DBS checks – but the majority of the inspection is expected to take place in rooms with children, talking to leaders and educators and observing practice.

If settings keep documentation that genuinely supports their work with children and wish to share this, inspectors may look at it. However, Ofsted is clear that it does not want providers to create paperwork solely for inspection purposes. The Chief Inspector has stated that he does not want settings to spend “a single penny” on anything that is not in the best interests of children.

The core message is that if educators are doing what is right for their children, they are doing what is right for Ofsted. There is no expectation that settings should “perform” or modify their practice just because an inspector is present.

The human side of inspection: nerves, breaks and honest conversation

The emotional experience of inspection is also explicitly recognised. Ofsted acknowledges that inspections can feel daunting, and the renewed framework encourages inspectors to attend to leaders’ and educators’ wellbeing on the day.

If a leader or educator feels nervous or overwhelmed, inspectors are expected to:

• Allow time and space for a break
• Encourage honest conversation about how the person is feeling
• Help to create a supportive environment rather than adding to anxiety

Educators are also reminded that an inspection is not a memory test. If someone does not immediately know the answer to a question, they can take time, gather information if needed, and return to the conversation later.

Ofsted also recognises that things sometimes go wrong in any ordinary day. If something unexpected happens, the expectation is that educators respond as they usually would, rather than performing for inspection, and then discuss the situation with the inspector afterwards. Maintaining open lines of communication throughout the day is seen as central to managing pressure and ensuring that inspection reflects reality.

Whose voices are heard? Leaders, staff and apprentices

The renewed framework affirms that everyone working with children in a setting has a role in inspection.

Inspectors typically:

• Speak with leaders about strategic leadership, curriculum ambition and quality of provision
• Talk directly with staff working in rooms, especially key persons for sampled children
• Engage with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) where relevant
• Include apprentices in conversations about their induction, support and professional development

This creates opportunities to understand how values and policies are lived in practice, and to recognise the contributions of educators at all stages of their professional journey.

What this means for educators

For educators and leaders in the early childhood community, several key messages emerge from Ofsted’s renewed early years inspection framework:

• Babies and children – their rights, experiences and outcomes – are the central focus.
• Play, relationships, emotional wellbeing and secure attachments are recognised as core to quality.
• Context matters: inspectors are expected to understand the community and children a setting serves.
• Inspection is intended to be collaborative, reflective and grounded in professional dialogue.
• Workload and unnecessary paperwork should not increase in the name of inspection.
• Educators are not expected to change what they do “for Ofsted” – doing what is right for children remains the guiding principle.

For those preparing for inspection, Ofsted directs settings to the publicly available early years toolkit, operating guide and information for inspectors (see further reading below) – the same documents inspectors themselves use. There is no “hidden” set of expectations beyond these materials.

Perhaps the most important message, especially for educators feeling anxious, is simple: if a setting is thoughtfully and ethically focused on children’s wellbeing, learning and sense of belonging, then that work is aligned with the purpose of the renewed framework. Inspection, at its best, should shine a light on that practice, open up honest reflection, and support the shared ambition that every child, in every community, has the chance to thrive.