Ofsted Network Meeting – Recording Overview
This recorded Ofsted Network meeting brings together early years leaders and inspectors to explore how the renewed Early Years Inspection Framework is working in practice. Led by Jude Simpson, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector for the East Midlands, alongside regulatory inspector Kate Scheel, the session offers practical insight into what early years providers can expect before, during and after an Ofsted inspection.
The discussion explains the key changes introduced in November 2025, including the new inspection report card, revised grading scale, and a strengthened focus on inclusion, safeguarding, and disadvantaged children. Inspectors talk through how inspections are now planned and carried out, highlighting the move towards a more collaborative, supportive and empathetic approach, grounded in professional dialogue rather than performative evidence-gathering.
The recording covers:
- What happens before inspection, including notification, planning calls and reasonable adjustments
- How inspections are conducted on the day, including the removal of the learning walk and the use of case sampling
- How inspectors use local context and data (such as Ofsted’s Explore an Area) to understand settings
- What leaders can expect from feedback, grading discussions and report cards
- Specific guidance for childminders, out-of-school provision and larger group settings
Throughout the session, inspectors respond to live questions from the sector, offering reassurance, clarification and real-world examples from inspections already carried out under the new framework. The recording is particularly useful for early years leaders, managers, childminders and support staff who want a clearer sense of how inspections are intended to “look and feel” under the renewed framework, and how to engage confidently in inspection conversations.