Major Ofsted shake-up will transform inspections for Devon schools

Schools across Dartmoor and Devon are preparing for a major change in how Ofsted inspects education.

From November 2025, inspectors will introduce new report cards to replace the single overall grade system that has been in place for decades.

Local colleges such as Tavistock College, Okehampton College and Ivybridge Community College can all expect to see changes in the way their pupils are graded.

The new approach, confirmed on Tuesday 9 September, will see schools, nurseries and colleges graded across six areas including teaching, behaviour, leadership, and inclusion.

Each will be judged on a five-point scale ranging from “urgent improvement” to the new top grade of “exceptional”.
Safeguarding will continue to be assessed separately.

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For parents, the biggest change will be more detailed feedback.

Report cards will highlight both strengths and areas needing improvement, alongside context such as pupil numbers and levels of deprivation.

National polling showed almost 70 per cent of parents prefer the new format.

Early years providers, including nurseries and childminders across Devon, will also face more frequent inspections, moving from once every six years to once every four.

Ofsted says this will help ensure children receive the best possible start in life.
Sir Martyn Oliver, Chief Inspector, said: “Children deserve the best possible education; their parents deserve the best possible information, and education professionals deserve to have their work fairly assessed.”

In Dartmoor villages and towns, the changes are expected to be felt most in small rural schools, which often face unique challenges with funding, staffing and inclusion.

Local headteachers have previously called for inspections to take account of community context, something Ofsted has pledged to do more carefully under the new framework.

The new system will begin with schools that volunteer for inspection from 10 November, before rolling out more widely across England.