Submission 124: AELP’s response to the “Improving the way Ofsted Inspects Education” consultation

AELP Response

The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the “Improving the way Ofsted inspects education” consultation. This is an area of specific interest to our members, and our consultation response has been informed by feedback gained during roundtables held with over 150 members who shared their views, aspirations and areas of concern.

While AELP accepts the move from one-word judgements, consultation with our members has revealed concerns about the timescales of the proposed changes, the potential complexity of the report card and challenges with the proposed new grading scale. We would also like to once again highlight the inequality faced by smaller providers in terms of notice periods, and the impact this has on their staff, their learners and their employers.

With November 2025 rapidly approaching, the timeline for implementation of the new inspection system, including report cards, leaves providers with little time to plan, adjust and train staff and governors alongside updating internal documentation, for example quality improvement plans. Providers also need clarity on how external organisations will use the new report card system, such as approaches and impact on contractual performance management by wider commissioners, employers and external commissioners (e.g. Crown Commercial Services (CCS) who currently use Ofsted’s “Outstanding or Good” grades as automatic entry criteria. More time is needed to educate and allow these organisations to understand and adjust their procurement processes around the new inspection outputs.