Ofsted Achievement: Preparing Your School for Inspection 2025

With the introduction of the new Ofsted inspection framework from 10th November 2025, schools across England are preparing for significant changes to how they're evaluated.

Achievement has been introduced as a standalone evaluation area for the first time – a change that reflects Ofsted's renewed focus on outcomes for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged learners, those with SEND and vulnerable children.

This blog breaks down everything you need to know about the Achievement evaluation area to ensure your school is prepared for inspection under the new framework.

What's Changed in Ofsted's 2025 Framework?

Ofsted has completely overhauled its inspection approach, replacing the traditional School Inspection Handbook with new toolkits and inspection guidance. The most significant changes include:

• 9 distinct evaluation areas (replacing the previous 4 judgement areas)
• New 5-point grading system with clearer expectations
• Achievement as a standalone evaluation area – previously not inspected separately
• No overall effectiveness grade – schools receive a detailed report card instead
• All changes take effect from 10th November 2025

Understanding Achievement as an Evaluation Area

What Does This Mean for Your School?

The Achievement evaluation area considers whether your school provides a high-quality education that gives all pupils – especially disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND, those known to children's social care and those facing other barriers – the necessary knowledge, skills and qualifications to succeed in life.

Achievement focuses on three critical aspects: whether the school equips pupils for the next stage of their education, training or employment; pupils' attainment and progress over time in national tests and examinations where relevant; and the progress pupils make across the curriculum from their starting points, ensuring they know more, remember more and are able to do more.

This marks a significant shift from previous frameworks because Achievement and Inclusion are now evaluated as separate but interconnected areas. Ofsted has made clear that there is no separation between inclusion and achievement – they should go hand in hand, with achievement not just being about data.

What Are the Key Factors Ofsted Will Evaluate?

1. Foundational Knowledge

Inspectors will examine the extent to which pupils have:

• Age and phase-appropriate knowledge and skills to progress to the next stage
• Language and communication skills enabling them to access the full curriculum
• Accurate and fluent reading
• Compositional skills and accurate spelling
• Legible and fluent handwriting
• Mathematical knowledge

A critical focus is whether pupils read widely and often with age-appropriate comprehension, and whether a strong culture of reading is embedded across the school, shown by pupils' confidence in and enjoyment of reading.

2. Achievement in National Tests and Examinations

Where published data is available, inspectors will consider:

• Pupils' attainment and progress compared with national averages
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally
• Whether any gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils are closing
• Whether pupils gain relevant qualifications for the next stage of their journey

3. Achievement Across the Curriculum

Beyond test results, inspectors evaluate:

• Whether pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills across all subjects
• How pupils' achievement is reflected in the quality of their work
• Whether pupils in primary schools are prepared for secondary education
• Whether secondary pupils have knowledge and skills for post-16 study or employment

Meeting the 'Expected Standard': What Do Schools Need to Know?

Important Context for School Leaders

Inspectors will consider what published data indicates about achievement over time and use this as a starting point for discussions, being aware of data gaps or limitations such as small cohorts. They will take into account that published outcomes do not reflect achievement of pupils in every year group or of some groups such as some pupils with SEND.

How Does Achievement Relate to Other Evaluation Areas?

Achievement doesn't exist in isolation. It's directly influenced by and interconnected with:

• Curriculum and Teaching: The quality of curriculum design and delivery directly impacts what pupils learn and achieve
• Inclusion: How well you identify and support vulnerable groups affects their achievement outcomes
• Attendance and Behaviour: Pupils need to attend regularly and engage positively to achieve well
• Leadership and Governance: Strategic leadership decisions impact achievement across the school

What Preparation Steps Can Your School Take?

1. Update Staff and Governors

Ensure your staff team and governing body understand the new Achievement evaluation area:

• Share the Achievement section of the inspection toolkit so everyone understands the expectations
• Clarify how Achievement relates to other evaluation areas
• Discuss what evidence inspectors will gather and from whom

2. Conduct a Self-Evaluation

Use the evaluation criteria to assess your current provision:

• What does your data tell you about achievement over time for all groups?
• Where are the gaps in knowledge or skills for particular pupils or groups?
• How do you know pupils are making progress across the curriculum, not just in tested subjects?
• What evidence can you provide beyond data to demonstrate achievement?
• How well prepared are pupils at key transition points?

3. Review Your Evidence Base

Start gathering and organising evidence that demonstrates achievement:

• Published performance data (where available) showing trends over time
• Assessment information showing progress from starting points
• Pupils' work samples demonstrating progression and breadth of learning
• Learning walk records showing curriculum implementation
• Pupil voice evidence about what they're learning and how they're progressing
• Case studies of individual pupils or groups showing progress journeys
• Destination data showing where pupils progress to next

Inspectors will consider evidence gathered on site to provide a fuller picture of achievement over time, particularly for groups of pupils or phases for which published data is not available. This includes evidence from learning walks, pupils' work, discussions with pupils and case sampling.

4. Strengthen Foundational Knowledge

Achievement begins with securing the basics:

• Prioritise systematic synthetic phonics for early reading
• Ensure pupils who fall behind receive rapid intervention
• Embed opportunities to develop language and vocabulary across all subjects
• Focus on mathematical fluency and number facts
• Create a reading culture that develops lifelong readers

5. Focus on Vulnerable Groups

Ofsted's continuous message has been that disadvantaged and vulnerable children are at the heart of their reforms, that inclusion takes centre stage and that achievement matters for all groups.

Ensure you can demonstrate:

• How you identify gaps in achievement for disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and other vulnerable groups
• What specific interventions you've put in place and their impact
• How you monitor progress for these groups across the curriculum, not just in core subjects
• That these pupils make strong progress from their starting points

6. Prepare for Inspection Conversations

Leaders and teachers should be ready to discuss:

• The story behind the data – context, trends, actions taken
• Progress across the curriculum – how you know pupils are achieving in all subjects
• Barriers to achievement you've identified and how you're addressing them
• Quality of work produced by pupils and what this shows about their learning
• Transition and preparation – how well pupils are prepared for next steps