# data[].attributes.headline
NHS Managing Fussy or Restricted Eating in School Aged Children Webinar

# data[].attributes.subject
NHS Managing Fussy or Restricted Eating in School Aged Children Webinar

# data[].attributes.body
This video will help guide you with specialist advice from NHS paediatric dietitians

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Last reviewed October 2022.

Managing Fussy or Restricted Eating (School Age)

Listen to Community Paediatric Dietitian, Alison Booth discuss why some school age children don't eat well and how you can help to improve their eating. The webinar includes practical tips to try, advice on structuring meals and snacks and also some advice on age-appropriate portions sizes of meals and snacks.

Give Us Feedback

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Managing Fussy or Restricted Eating (School Age) - Webinars on Fussy Eating in Children - patientwebinars.co.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Last reviewed October 2022. Managing Fussy or Restricted Eating (School Age) Listen to Community Paediatric Dietitian, Alison Booth discuss why some school age children don't eat well and how you can help to improve their eating. The webinar includes practical tips to try, advice on structuring meals and snacks and also some advice on age-appropriate portions [...]

# data[].attributes.body
The Public Health 5 to 19 Nursing service is responsible for promoting good health and lifestyle improvement among children and young people aged 5 to 19. Book an e-school nurse video appointment by contacting 01228 603973, Monday to Friday, 9 till 4pm

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our Team have developed a number of training packages, which can be adjusted to meet individual school's needs.

Our current packages comprise of Staff training covering staff needs on a range of things from updates on health conditions, mental health awareness, and health education.

We have also provided sessions for parents on digital wellbeing, healthy eating, mental health and toileting. These sessions can be organised for parent evenings/ assemblies, transition or specific after school.

We have provided sessions for students including topic assemblies to support the schools PSHE curriculum, which can be shared with school staff if they wish to deliver themselves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Public Health 5 to 19 Nursing service is responsible for promoting good health and lifestyle improvement among children and young people aged 5 to 19. We also offer support children and young people who have low level or emerging health or development problems.

# data[].attributes.body
National Food Strategy: Your Future Your Food - 2020 Report on a nationwide youth consultation

# data[].attributes.headline
School Food Standards: Resources for Schools

# data[].attributes.subject
School Food Standards: Resources for Schools

# data[].attributes.body
Resources and advice for all schools and caterers. They offer practical guidance on how to apply the school food standards and make sure healthy options are always available for pupils.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Resources to help schools plan and provide healthy food in schools.

Details

Resources and advice for all schools and caterers. They offer practical guidance on how to apply the school food standards and make sure healthy options are always available for pupils.

The resources include:

guidance for schools

food standards poster

guidance for governors

advice on creating a culture of healthy eating

guidance on food portion sizes

headteacher and school lunch checklists

guidance on food allergies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School food standards: resources for schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Skip to main content We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

# data[].attributes.body
Easy, healthy and budget friendly packed lunch inspiration

# data[].attributes.headline
Food a fact of life: Free education resources

# data[].attributes.subject
Food a fact of life: Free education resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free education resources for teaching young people aged 3-16 years about where food comes from, cooking and healthy eating, and teacher training. - Food A Fact Of Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The resources follow a progression framework and have been developed to stimulate learning and support the curriculum and qualifications throughout the UK. All resources are designed to ensure that consistent and up-to-date messages are delivered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
PH 5-19 Whole School Food Policy template

# data[].attributes.body
Guidance on the standards for planning and providing food in schools. To receive DfE email updates on school food, click on the 'get emails about this page' button under the title page

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tell us whether you accept cookies

We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services.

Guidance

Guidance on the standards for planning and providing food in schools.

Documents

Details

This is for governing boards of:

all local-authority-maintained schools

pupil referral units (these provide education for children who cannot go to a mainstream school)

academies and free schools

non-maintained special schools (a school for children with special educational needs that the Secretary of State for Education has approved under section 342 of the Education Act 1996)

It includes information on:

planning and provision of school food

the school food plan

the provision of milk

the free fruit and vegetables scheme

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tell us whether you accept cookies We use cookies to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve government services. Guidance Guidance on the standards for planning and providing food in schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Reduce food waste and save money with top tips, ideas and recipes from Love Food Hate Waste

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Explore our food guide for plenty of easy ways to reduce your food waste. From tasty recipes for simple meal ideas, easy ways to use up leftovers and how to store your food at home (hint: you'd be surprised how many foods can be frozen!) we've got you covered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Love Food Hate Waste. We're here to prevent food waste, help you save food, save money and save the planet too. Here you'll find recipes, nutritional information, blogs on tips and tricks and more.

# data[].attributes.headline
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Food growing resources

# data[].attributes.subject
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF): Food growing resources

# data[].attributes.body
Food growing resources and activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Growing food is fun!
WWF's dedicated Plant2Plate resources focuses on what can be done to produce and consume food in a sustainable way that is less harmful to our shared planet and healthier for us. You can also download the new 'Growth' activity pack; a one-stop shop to support you during British Science Week that you can use it all year! Feel free to adapt or extend the activities to suit your pupils' needs or the curriculum you are delivering.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WWF's dedicated food and food growing resources focuses on what can be done to produce and consume food in a sustainable way

# data[].attributes.headline
Soil Association's Food for Life award programme

# data[].attributes.subject
Soil Association's Food for Life award programme

# data[].attributes.body
An award programme supporting schools to take a whole school approach to food

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our programme is about making good food the easy choice for everyone - making healthy, tasty and sustainable meals the norm for all to enjoy, reconnecting people with where their food comes from, teaching them how it's grown and cooked, and championing the importance of well-sourced ingredients.

We work with schools, nurseries, hospitals and care homes, helping them build knowledge and skills. This engages children and parents, staff, patients and visitors, caterers, carers and the wider community to create a powerful voice for long-term change.

An enhanced version of our evidence-based programme is available for commissioning to support health and wellbeing priorities in your area. We are already achieving clear results in Local Authorities throughout England. Find out more about our commissions here.

Food for Life is a Soil Association programme - find out more about who we are here. A wealth of information is available on our website, but if you can't find what you're looking for, please get in touch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Food for Life programme is all about transforming food culture - making healthy, tasty and nutritious meals the norm for all to enjoy, reconnecting people with where food comes from, learning how it's grown and cooked and understanding the importance of well-sourced ingredients

# data[].attributes.headline
A summary of breakfast clubs and the support available

# data[].attributes.subject
A summary of breakfast clubs and the support available

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Breakfast clubs can be an important way of supporting a whole school focus on healthy lifestyles. Breakfast clubs allow children to have a healthy breakfast in a safe and secure environment before school and can be particularly essential for families who do not have the resources or the time to provide breakfast for their children. They are able to offer children a social environment to have breakfast with their peers. The food provided in breakfast clubs is still expected to follow the healthy food policies which schools follow throughout the day.

Some clubs also offer a range of activities and games or opportunities to work on school work. Most breakfast clubs are open to all pupils at the school, although staff may target particular groups (for instance those with low school attendance or who teachers feel are not being provided food at home). According to research (1), 85% of UK schools currently have a Breakfast Club; this was slightly higher in Wales and slightly lower in Scotland. The average attendance at a UK breakfast club is 35 pupils.

The cost of breakfast clubs vary; some charge a nominal amount per breakfast and some are funded by the school or local or national government schemes. Over half (55%) of UK Breakfast Clubs are self-supporting with 26% supported by the school budget and 5.7% by local or national government schemes. The proportion of breakfast clubs in Wales funded by the Government is far higher (71%). 45% of schools said that funding was the single biggest need for the future of their Breakfast Club. More than half of breakfast clubs in the UK are run by teaching assistants or by catering staff (1).

The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) is funded by the Department for Education and delivered by Family Action to support schools in England to provide children with a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day. The programme will run from July 2021 to July 2023, providing schools with up to 2 years of support to run a successful and affordable school breakfast provision. The offer is available to all schools that have 40% or more children in IDACI bands A-F.

Magic Breakfast works with over 1,000 Primary, Secondary and ASL/Special Educational Needs schools, plus Pupil Referral Units, offering breakfasts to over 200,000 children each school day. Their partner schools are in most counties in England. In Scotland they work with 38 schools. For a school in England to be eligible, at least 35% of pupils should be recorded as eligible for Pupil Premium. A Primary School in Scotland qualifies for Magic Breakfast support when at least 55% of pupils are in SIMD Deciles 1 to 4 and/or at least 35% are eligible for FSM. A Secondary School qualifies for support when at least 40% of pupils are in SIMD Deciles 1 to 4.

There are also breakfast clubs run by: Greggs, who provide 680 schools on their scheme with fresh bread and a grant to support start-up and ongoing costs; Kellogg's, who offer e-newsletters which feature competitions, activities and practical ideas for running an effective Breakfast Club along with a grant for more disadvantaged schools, and you can also apply product donations from Warburtons to help with Breakfast Clubs.

Throughout the UK there are various schemes in place to aid the planning and running of a breakfast club:
England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales References and useful links

1. https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/content/dam/europe/kelloggs_gb/pdf/R5_Kelloggs%20Breakfast%20Club%20Audit%20APSE.pdf

2. https://www.magicbreakfast.com/

3. https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/breakfast/

4. https://www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/breakfast-clubs

5. https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/en_GB/what-we-believe/breakfast-club-network.html

6. https://www.warburtons.co.uk/corporate/sustainability/product-donation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Breakfast clubs can be an important way of supporting a whole school focus on healthy lifestyles.

# data[].attributes.body
The new home of Change4Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Make a change today! Discover healthy recipes, food swaps, nutritional advice, and top tips and activities to help the whole family stay healthy.

# data[].attributes.headline
Better Health Healthier Families: Addressing Fussy Eating Video

# data[].attributes.subject
Better Health Healthier Families: Addressing Fussy Eating Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Addressing fussy eating with 5 easy to follow steps | Better Health Families

# data[].attributes.body
A free programme for families, with children in Reception to Year 7, who are looking to make the change to a healthier lifestyle. For more information email E-SchoolNurse@ncic.nhs.uk

Healthy Lifestyles :: North Cumbria Integrated Care (ncic.nhs.uk)

# data[].attributes.headline
Biteback 2030: School Food Champion projects to transform school canteens and put health first. For KS3 level.

# data[].attributes.subject
Biteback 2030: School Food Champion projects to transform school canteens and put health first. For KS3 level.

# data[].attributes.body
Join School Food Champions to empower pupils to put good food at the heart of your school community. Fully funded.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Join School Food Champions to Empower Pupils to Put Good Food at the Heart of Your School Community

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We know young people are passionate about making their schools and communities healthier and fairer places for all. School Food Champions gives them the tools to harness this passion and take the lead in driving positive change, to ensure that in every school all children can access the food they need to thrive.

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Help with buying catering services for schools

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Help with buying catering services for schools

# data[].attributes.body
How to find the best solution for the catering requirements of your school

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Before you start, it's important to understand:

The steps below can help you manage the changes you may want to make.

End an existing contract

Find out your school's existing catering contract:

This will help you to plan any changes if you decide to switch contract.

Talk to the staff involved

Before you make any changes, you should talk to:

Before talking to your staff, you may need to write a business case for the senior leadership team and school governors.

Try to:

Talk to other schools

You may find it helpful to:

ask other schools if they're looking to renew their catering contract

negotiate bulk deals and discounts with suppliers

This may help you to get better value and spread the workload with other schools.

Start a new contract

It's best to start a new contract:

at the beginning of the academic year

after long school holiday, for example, Christmas or Easter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How to find the best solution for the catering requirements of your school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Whether squeezing it in before the school run in the morning or before bed on busy midweek evenings, preparing your child's lunchbox can seem like just another thing on the list.

School meals are a great choice, but if you do make a packed lunch for your child then we've got you covered with our range of quick, easy, healthier lunchbox ideas and tips.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lunchbox ideas and recipes - Healthier Families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Simple, tasty recipes and tips for hassle-free healthier packed lunches.

# data[].attributes.headline
DfE: Guidance on creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating in schools

# data[].attributes.subject
DfE: Guidance on creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating in schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ofsted's new Common Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, throughout their entire inspection, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to:

gain knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy

make informed choices about healthy eating, and fitness

The following questions and examples of evidence can help school leaders and governing bodies adopt a whole school approach to food.

Leadership

Questions to consider:

What steps have you taken to ensure there is a whole school approach to healthy eating?

Who is responsible on the senior management team and governing body for healthy food provision and food education?

How do you monitor and evaluate school food provision and food education?

How do you involve the wider school community, including parents and governors, in promoting healthy eating?

Evidence of good leadership can include:

a current 'whole-school' food policy shared widely with stakeholders

strategy references to healthy eating in the school development plan and self-evaluation form

using premium spending to promote healthy eating and learning, including breakfast and after school clubs

school meal take-up data

senior leadership and governor engagement with what children are eating and drinking

awards and quality assured schemes such as Food for Life, Schools Award, Children's Food Trust, Healthy Schools

Further resource

Food provision

Questions to consider:

How do you know food is tasty and meets the food standards across the whole day?

What do children think about the food and drink provided? How are they involved in decision-making?

How do you ensure your meal provision best meets the needs of your school community?

What advice is provided for those who choose not to take a school lunch, for example, a healthy packed lunch policy?

Evidence of a good provision can include:

an attractive, happy and calm dining environment

staff and children eating together

catering staff, including midday supervisors who are happy and engaged with school staff and children

children and parents being actively consulted

a cashless payment system to reduce queues and stigmatisation of free school meal pupils

independent verification that school food standards and relevant Government Buying Standards are met across the school day

making water the drink of choice, freely and easily available

Further resources

Food education

Questions to consider:

How do you measure progress of children's knowledge and skills about healthy eating?

How do you make learning about healthy eating, including nutrition advice and practical cooking, possible for all students and across subjects?

Do you use a qualified subject specialist to teach food education?

Evidence of good food education can include:

consistent messaging across subjects

ensuring there is enough timetabling, space and practical resources (equipment, ingredients)

food education schemes of work with a focus on savoury cooking

using pupil premium or budgets to provide ingredients for pupils unable to bring from home

food growing and gardening activities

Further resources

Wider well-being

Questions to consider:

How does the school link healthy eating within the wider personal development, behaviour and welfare judgment?

What continuing professional development (CPD) and training is in place for all teachers and support staff to support their knowledge of health and wellbeing?

Evidence of good wider well-being include:

drawing on expertise from outside agencies

events, assemblies, displays and messaging themed around health and wellbeing

a culture of exercise and healthy eating

staff development plans and CPD records

Further resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ofsted's new Common Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, throughout their entire inspection, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to: gain knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy make informed choices about healthy eating, and fitness The following questions and examples of evidence can help school leaders and governing bodies adopt a whole school approach to food.

# data[].attributes.body
Eating in school should be a pleasurable experience. These school food standards are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits, and ensure they have the energy and nutrition they need to get the most from their whole school day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Eating in school should be a pleasurable experience. These school food standards are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits, and ensure that they have the energy and nutrition they need to get the most from their whole school day. It's important to cook food that looks good and tastes delicious.

Staff should talk to children about what is on offer, and recommend dishes, to reduce queuing time. Food should be served in a pleasant environment where children can eat with their friends.

As a general principle, it's important to provide a wide range of foods across the week. Use fresh, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients (best of all, from the school vegetable garden) and talk to the children about what they are eating.

The food-based standards specify which types of food should be served at school and how often.

Remember to use Sustainable procurement the government buying standards  alongside these standards to help reduce salt, saturated fat and sugar in children's diets.

A child's healthy, balanced diet should consist of:

The standards for school lunch

Use the checklist for school food lunches.

Starchy foods

Starchy food is an important source of energy and B vitamins. Flour is fortified with iron and calcium. Wholegrain varieties of bread and pasta are good sources of fibre, which is important for a healthy digestive system.

Starchy foods help children feel full, so they are less likely to snack on foods high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or salt.

You should include:

You can:

use wholegrain varieties of starchy foods

try using a 50:50 mix for pasta and rice

use at least half wholemeal or granary flour when making bread, puddings, cakes, biscuits, batters and sauces

use different types of bread and look for products with higher fibre

Do not add salt to water when cooking pasta, rice and other starchy foods. Instead, add flavour to the main dish by using herbs, spices, garlic and vegetables.

Fruit and vegetables

Getting children to eat more fruit and vegetables is vital for good health. Introducing children to a wide variety of fruit and vegetables establishes healthy eating habits for life, reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of essential vitamins and minerals. They are also often a good source of fibre.

Fruit and vegetables add colour, flavour and variety to meals.

You should include:

one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment every day

one or more portions of fruit every day

a dessert containing at least 50% fruit 2 or more times each week

at least 3 different fruits and 3 different vegetables each week

You can:

make sure your meal deals always contain at least one portion of vegetables and one portion of fruit

provide at least 2 different coloured vegetables and fruits each day

buy fruit and vegetables that are in season

choose canned products in water or natural juice, with no added salt or sugar

steam vegetables or boil them in a minimal amount of water

display fruit and vegetables prominently and attractively

talk to the children to encourage them to try new vegetable and fruit dishes

using produce from the school garden is a great way to encourage children to try new vegetables and fruit

price a portion of fruit so that it is cheaper than a dessert

add lots of vegetables into composite dishes such as Bolognese or chilli con carne

Pulses count as vegetables. However, if you are serving pulses as a non-dairy protein for vegetarians, you will need a separate vegetable serving as well.

Do not serve baked beans more than once a week and choose low-sugar and low-salt varieties.

Milk and dairy

Dairy foods are a rich source of energy, protein, calcium, vitamin A and riboflavin.

You should include:

a portion of food from this group every day

lower fat milk, which must be available for drinking at least once a day during school hours

You can:

offer frozen yoghurt as an alternative to ice cream

buy low-sugar varieties of milkshakes and yoghurt drinks. You could make them yourself using fruit to sweeten them

Hard cheeses such as cheddar tend to be higher in saturated fat than softer cheese. When using hard cheeses, choose stronger-tasting varieties and use smaller amounts.

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Foods from this group provide protein and essential minerals, including iron and zinc.

Oily fish provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to health, and vitamins A and D.

You must include:

You can

ensure vegetarian meals are as varied as the rest of the menu by using pulses twice a week, soya, tofu, or mycoprotein-based meat substitute once or twice each week, and eggs and cheese once or twice each week

encourage all children to have a meat-free day each week, using alternatives such as pulses, soya mince, tofu and mycoprotein-based meat substitute

visit the Marine Stewardship Council for advice on buying responsibly sourced fish

Be aware that canned tuna is not an oily fish as the omega-3 fatty acids are destroyed in the canning process.

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

Foods from this group are often high in energy (calories) but provide few other nutrients.

Reducing saturated fat intake can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating unsaturated fats instead, which are found in foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds, and sunflower and olive oils, can help lower blood cholesterol.

Too much salt can encourage a taste for salty foods, potentially leading to high blood pressure in later life.

High sugar intake provides unnecessary calories and can lead to weight gain and tooth decay.

You should include:

no more than 2 portions of food that have been deep-fried, batter-coated, or breadcrumb-coated, each week (applies across the whole school day)

no more than 2 portions of food which include pastry each week (applies across the whole school day)

savoury crackers or breadsticks, which can be served at lunch with fruit, vegetables or dairy food

desserts, cakes and biscuits but they must not contain any confectionery

You should avoid:

snacks, except nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat (applies across the whole school day)

confectionery, chocolate or chocolate-coated products (applies across the whole school day)

You must not provide salt to add to food after it has been cooked (applies across the whole school day).

Any condiments must be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10 grams or one teaspoonful (applies across the whole school day).

You can:

choose mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, such as rapeseed, soya, sunflower and olive oils, wherever possible for cooking or salad dressings

avoid products that list partially hydrogenated fat or oil on the label

use higher fibre ingredients, such as wholemeal flour, in addition to, or instead of, white flour

reduce the amount of sugar used in dishes

use fresh or dried fruit to sweeten dishes

ask suppliers for nutritional information and read food labels to check the amount of fat, saturated fat, salt and sugars in their products

use herbs, spices, garlic, vegetables and fruits to add flavour to dishes instead of salt

choose biscuits, cakes and pastries that are lower in fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt

Do not use flavour enhancers such as MSG or E621. These can be very high in sodium.

Healthy drinks

Water should be the default drink for every child. The more it is offered, the more readily they will accept it. Sugary or sweetened drinks often have no nutritional value, contribute to weight gain, and can cause tooth decay.

Free, fresh drinking water must be available at all times.

The only drinks permitted are:

plain water (still or carbonated)

lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk

fruit or vegetable juice (maximum 150mls)

plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium

plain fermented milk (for example yoghurt) drinks

combinations of fruit or vegetable juice with plain water (still or carbonated, with no added sugars or honey)

combinations of fruit juice and lower fat milk or plain yoghurt, plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium; cocoa and lower fat milk; flavoured lower fat milk, all with less than 5% added sugars or honey

tea, coffee, hot chocolate

Combination drinks are limited to a portion size of 330mls. They may contain added vitamins or minerals, and no more than 150mls of fruit or vegetable juice. Fruit or vegetable juice combination drinks must be at least 45% fruit or vegetable juice.

You can:

provide jugs of fresh tap water together with cups or glasses on tables and at the serving counter

consider installing a water cooler which uses tap water, or water fountains in the dining room and around the school encouraging the use of refillable bottles

provide drinks that are unsweetened, unfortified and additive-free

avoid drinks containing preservatives, flavourings, colourings and sweeteners

School food other than lunch

Many of the food-based standards apply to food served throughout the school day, including breakfast, midmorning break and after school clubs, as well as from vending machines and tuck shops.

Use the checklist for school food other than lunch.

As with the other food standards, these do not apply at parties, celebrations to mark religious or cultural occasions, or at fund-raising events.

Starchy foods

You should not serve starchy food cooked in fat or oil more than 2 days each week (applies across the whole school day).

You can serve:

potatoes

rice

pasta

bread (although these are restricted if cooked in fat or oil)

malt loaf

fruit bread

Porridge is a great breakfast food. Use fruit to sweeten if necessary. Otherwise, choose fortified breakfast cereals with higher fibre and low or medium sugar content. Avoid cereals with lots of added sugar and salt.

Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables should be available in all school food outlets.

You can serve:

pots of sliced or chopped fresh fruit

fruit kebabs

vegetable sticks with dips

salad shaker pots

Milk and dairy

Lower fat milk must be available for drinking at least once a day during school hours.

You can serve lower fat natural (plain) yoghurt and plain lower fat fromage frais, and add fruit to sweeten

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

You cannot serve a meat or poultry product (manufactured or homemade and meeting the legal requirements) more than once each week in primary schools, and twice each week in secondary schools (applies across the whole school day).

You can serve:

a variety of sandwiches and wraps

muffin fillings or toast toppings, such as eggs, houmous, sliced meat, poultry, fish, canned fish, baked beans

tortillas

fajitas

burritos

quesadillas

enchiladas

omelette

Spanish omelette

frittata

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

You should not serve:

more than 2 portions of food that has been deep-fried, batter-coated, breadcrumb-coated, each week (applies across the whole school day)

more than 2 portions of food which include pastry each week (applies across the whole school day)

snacks, except nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat (applies across the whole school day)

savoury crackers or breadsticks

confectionery, chocolate and chocolate-coated products (applies across the whole school day)

cakes, biscuits, pastries or desserts (except yoghurt or fruit-based desserts containing at least 50% fruit)

You must not provide salt to add to food after it has been cooked (applies across the whole school day).

Condiments should be limited to sachets or portions of no more than 10 grams or one teaspoonful (applies across the whole school day).

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt are restricted or not permitted at times other than lunch.

Healthy drinks

This applies across the whole school day.

Free, fresh drinking water must be available at all times.

The only drinks permitted are:

plain water (still or carbonated)

lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk

fruit or vegetable juice (max 150mls)

plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium; plain fermented milk (for example yoghurt) drinks

combinations of fruit or vegetable juice with plain water (still or carbonated, with no added sugars or honey)

combinations of fruit juice and lower fat milk or plain yoghurt, plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium; cocoa and lower fat milk; flavoured lower fat milk, all with less than 5% added sugars or honey

tea, coffee, hot chocolate

Combination drinks are limited to a portion size of 330mls. They may contain added vitamins or minerals, and no more than 150mls fruit or vegetable juice. Fruit or vegetable juice combination drinks must be at least 45% fruit or vegetable juice.

How to increase the iron, zinc and calcium content of meals

Research shows that some children in the UK are not getting enough iron, zinc and calcium in their diets to support their rapid growth. Here are some ways to boost their intake of these important minerals.

Starchy foods

Iron:

wholemeal bread

fortified breakfast cereals

Zinc:

wholegrain and wheat germ breads

plain popcorn

Calcium:

bread (except wholemeal)

bread-based products

Fruit and vegetables:

Iron:

pulses, for example. chickpeas, lentils, beans (not green beans)

dried apricots

raisins

Calcium:

Milk and dairy foods

Zinc:

Calcium:

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Iron:

lean red meat for example, beef, lamb

soya beans

pulses, for example chickpeas, lentils, beans (not green beans)

Zinc:

lean red meat for example, beef, lamb, pork

dark poultry meat

oily fish for example, canned sardines, pilchards, mackerel

mycoprotein-based meat substitute

peanuts, ground nuts, almonds

sesame seeds

Calcium:

canned sardines or pilchards, drained and mashed up with the bones

tofu (soya bean)

Managing food allergies and intolerances

Food allergies or intolerances must be taken seriously.

Schools and caterers should work closely with parents to support children with medical needs, allergies or intolerances. Please read the  allergy guidance for schools.

Procurement and government buying standards

The following resources are available to caterers and cooks to help them source their food responsibly.

Sustainable procurement: The Government Buying Standards for food and catering services set clear technical specifications to assist with buying food and catering services.

Buy seasonal and local food. As well as often being more sustainable in production, it can build greater awareness of local produce and build stronger links with local food suppliers. You can find out more about local and sustainable food at Sustain.

Choose fish from verifiably sustainable sources, and ideally  Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)  certified.

Reducing food waste can save money and time and be a great way to get pupils involved.

Further information and advice

The School Food Plan website provides ideas about what schools can do to transform their school food, including what children eat in school and how they learn about food. It also provides examples of what other schools are doing to encourage children to eat well and provides the details of many excellent organisations who are there to support schools.

Recipes and menus

The School Food Plan  provides examples for a range of recipes and menus that meet the food-based standards and nutrient framework.

Useful organisations

The Department for Education sets the standards for school food and is responsible for  The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014.

Public Health England is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care. Its mission is to protect and improve the nation's health and to address inequalities. Its social marketing campaign is  Change4Life, which aims to help Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils understand the benefits of eating well and living a more active lifestyle from an early age.

The Lead Association for Catering in Education  is the lead membership organisation for the School Food sector. It has lots of information and advice on school food for members.

Food for Life Catering Mark  provides independent endorsement that food providers are meeting the school food standards and serving food prepared from fresh, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. It provides a framework to transform food culture through improving school food, meal take up and food education through a whole school approach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eating in school should be a pleasurable experience. These school food standards are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits, and ensure that they have the energy and nutrition they need to get the most from their whole school day. It's important to cook food that looks good and tastes delicious.

# data[].attributes.headline
WWF Healthy Food for a Healthy Planet resources

# data[].attributes.subject
WWF Healthy Food for a Healthy Planet resources

# data[].attributes.headline
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): Campaign for school gardening

# data[].attributes.subject
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): Campaign for school gardening

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
home / RHS Campaign for School Gardening

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspiration and support from the RHS for schools, providing children with gardening opportunities to enhance their skills and boost their development.

# data[].attributes.body
A self-assessment tool designed to help schools improve the health and wellbeing of their pupils

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The healthy schools rating scheme is a self-assessment tool designed to help schools improve the health and wellbeing of their pupils.

# data[].attributes.headline
The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP)

# data[].attributes.subject
The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP)

# data[].attributes.body
Funded by the DfE and delivered by Family Action

# data[].attributes.body
Sign up for weekly emails with top tips and ideas to help your family make healthy changes

# data[].attributes.body
Half of parents say they struggle to get their children to eat fruit and vegetables. Simply Veg is here to help

# data[].attributes.body
Find your nearest Foodbank

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you are struggling to feed yourself or your family there are organisations that can help. They are used by hundreds of people every week in Cumbria from all walks of life.

Many food projects make use of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, distributing it locally or turning it into hot meals.

Foodbanks can provide emergency food parcels in a crisis:

If you need urgent help finding food and essential items, or if you are struggling to cope with your current situation for whatever reason, you are advised to call the county council's Support Helpline on 0800 783 1966 (Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 4.30pm).

In Whitehaven the Food Pantry Project offers access to free food and advice at St Peter's Community Hall in Woodhouse on the third Thursday of each month.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Adult and Local Services, Cumbria County Council, information@cumbria.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welfare - help with food | Cumbria County Council

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ways to welfare - finding your nearest foodbank

# data[].attributes.body
Do we really choose what we eat? Bite Back 2030 highlight the shocking effects of junk food advertising in this social experiement. Follow Bite Back and join the fight to take junk food out of the spotlight. @biteback2030

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Social Experiment: The shocking effects of junk food advertising!

# data[].attributes.headline
Chefs in School: What works well in school food

# data[].attributes.subject
Chefs in School: What works well in school food

# data[].attributes.body
A checklist for Headteachers of what works well in school food

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Whilst it is not mandatory in the UK, many schools have adopted healthier lunchbox policies, which have been shared with parents and carers to encourage healthy eating in school. These are usually based upon the principles of the Eatwell Guide, encouraging a lunchbox to contain:

a starchy food, e.g. potatoes, bread, rice, pasta;

plenty of fruit and vegetables, e.g. carrot sticks, an apple, sliced cucumber;

a source of protein, e.g. beans, pulses, egg, fish, meat;

a healthy drink, e.g. water, semi-skimmed milk.

Many schools also suggest to parents/carers that foods high in fat, salt and sugars should not be included (such as crisps, confectionary and sugar-containing carbonated drinks) and some schools have identified non-food based incentives for pupils to follow the healthier lunchbox policies; offering rewards such as stickers, certificates or team points. These policies aim to complement the provision already in place for school meals to help achieve a whole school food approach. The advice for healthier lunch policies relates to all of the UK.
What should be in a healthy lunchbox?
Eating a healthy, balanced lunch is vital for ensuring children have the right nutrients and enough energy to see them through the school day, however, achieving this balance is not always as easy as it sounds. The key to a healthy packed lunch is variety and getting the right balance of foods to provide children with all of the nutrients they need to stay healthy. A packed lunch made at home can be a healthy and delicious choice and gives a parent or carer control over the foods and ingredients included.

A school lunchbox should:
Be based on starchy foods

This can include potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, couscous, wraps, pitta and chapatti. Where possible wholegrain varieties should be chosen, e.g. wholemeal bread and leave skins on potatoes.
Include plenty of fruit and vegetables

Include 1-2 portions and vary these throughout the week.

You could add sliced vegetables into a pasta dish or sandwich.

You could also include packs of chopped fresh fruits or individual packs of dried fruits.

Include a portion of beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat, a dairy food and/or a non-dairy source of protein

Use beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other sources of protein as sandwich fillings or in a salad.

If you're not including a dairy food in the main lunch item (e.g. in a salad or sandwich), add a yogurt or some cheese, such as a Cheddar stick, to the lunchbox.

If you're including a dairy alternative, e.g. soya yogurt or milk, choose varieties which are unsweetened and fortified with calcium.

Include a drink

Healthy options include water, semi-skimmed or 1% milk.

You could also give your child fruit juice or smoothie - but remember, fruit juice and smoothies should be limited to a combined total of 150ml a day. You could always dilute fruit juice with still or sparkling water.

Snacks and healthier treats
Although some cakes and savoury snacks may be allowed by your child's school policy, these should be included less often and it is a good idea to select healthier options where possible. Having a healthy lunch does not mean not allowing any treats. However, it's a good idea to check the school policy that these items are allowed before giving them as healthy treats. Below are some ideas for healthier break time snacks.

Whole or sliced fruit.

Vegetable sticks, e.g. celery, carrot, pepper, cucumber. Some vegetables are naturally baton shaped which can save you time preparing, for example, sugar snap peas and baby corn.

Bag of plain popcorn.

Bread sticks.

Unsalted nuts (check your child's schools policy on nuts first as some schools do not allow nuts to be brought in).

Rice or corn cakes.

Another option of a healthier treat is to make individual bags of dried fruit by placing a small handful of mixed dried fruits, into food bags or sealed containers. However, children should avoid dried fruit as a break time snack as they are high in sugar and can be harmful to their teeth. Instead dried fruit should only be offered at meal times.
School meals
It may be worth considering whether your child could have a school meal as meals served in schools in the UK (with the exception of some academies) have to comply with regulatory standards for the foods provided and it is often easier to get the essential nutrients children need into a cooked meal than into a packed lunch.
Other useful links
Healthy lunchbox ideas (Change 4 life)- https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes

Food Standards Scotland - https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/life-stages/children

How to make the perfect pre-school lunchbox! (EYNP) - http://www.eynpartnership.org/blog-news/how-make-perfect-pre-school-lunchbox

School packed lunch inspiration (BBC Good Food) - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration

Resources to support parental engagement around healthier lunchboxes - https://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/whole-school/parental-engagement/#HL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Whilst it is not mandatory in the UK, many schools have adopted healthier lunchbox policies, which have been shared with parents and carers to encourage healthy eating in school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Food teaching in primary schools: knowledge and skills framework

# data[].attributes.subject
Food teaching in primary schools: knowledge and skills framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Accept additional cookies Reject additional cookies View cookies

Skip to main content

Guidance to support primary school teachers deliver food teaching in schools.

Documents

Request an accessible format.

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email publications@phe.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Support for primary schools to implement the requirements for food teaching within the new National Curriculum for Design and Technology ( D&T) in England and the Core Competences for Children and Young People.

Use the framework to:

review and plan courses for trainee teachers, and set out expectations for qualified teacher status

audit current practice by existing teachers, supporting performance related development

support professional reviews with colleagues

plan and run professional training courses to support best practice

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Food teaching in primary schools: knowledge and skills framework

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guidance to support primary school teachers deliver food teaching in schools.

# data[].attributes.headline
Food - A fact of life: Whole School Food Policy Guidance

# data[].attributes.subject
Food - A fact of life: Whole School Food Policy Guidance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Whole school food policy - Food A Fact Of Life

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Food has a significant role to play in determining health and wellbeing, establishing social roles and reflecting and shaping the school’s ethos and individuals’ values.

# data[].attributes.body
See paragraph 325 for information on healthy eating

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This guidance came into force on 19 January 2024.

Introduction

1. This handbook describes the main activities carried out during graded, ungraded and urgent inspections of maintained schools and academies in England under sections 5 and 8 of the Education Act 2005, respectively. It sets out the grade descriptors that inspectors use to make their judgements and on which they report. It applies to school inspections under the education inspection framework (EIF).

2. Graded inspections are carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. They were previously known as section 5 inspections. In graded inspections, we use Ofsted's full framework and grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management), for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision) and for its overall effectiveness, against our grade descriptors.

3. Ungraded inspections are carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. They were previously known as section 8 inspections of good and outstanding schools. An ungraded inspection differs from a graded inspection because it does not result in individual graded judgements. Instead, it focuses on determining whether the school remains the same grade as it was at its previous graded inspection.

4. Urgent inspections are also carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. They were previously known as inspections with no formal designation and unannounced behaviour inspections.

5. Ofsted may also carry out inspections under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 in order to comply with a request from the Secretary of State under section 118(2) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 for information or advice about maintained schools and academies. We may also carry out research during inspections.

6. This handbook is primarily a guide for inspectors on how to carry out school inspections. However, we make it available to schools and other organisations to ensure that they are informed about the processes and procedures of inspection. It seeks to balance the need for consistency in inspections with the flexibility required to respond to the individual circumstances of each school. This handbook should be regarded not as a set of inflexible rules, but as an account of the procedures of inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement when they apply the guidance in this handbook.

7. The handbook has 4 parts:

Conduct during inspections

8. Ofsted's code of conduct outlines our expectations of the conduct of our inspectors and our expectations of providers during inspection.

9. Inspectors will uphold the highest professional standards in their work. They will treat everyone they meet during inspections fairly and with the respect and sensitivity they deserve. Inspectors will work constructively with leaders and staff, demonstrating professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect at all times.

10. Providers should approach their inspection with integrity and be open, transparent and honest. This includes providing evidence - or access to evidence - that will enable inspectors to report honestly, fairly and reliably. It means not withholding or concealing evidence, or providing false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete information.

Schools raising concerns

11. If a school has any concerns about an inspection, including about inspectors' conduct or any potential or perceived conflicts of interest, they should be raised at the earliest opportunity with the lead inspector. Concerns can be raised at any point during the inspection, including (but not limited to):

12. Any concerns will be taken seriously, and the act of raising the concern will not impact inspection findings or how a school is considered by Ofsted.

Gathering personal information on inspection

13. Inspectors will gather any personal information necessary to assist them in inspecting a school. Our privacy policy sets out what personal information we collect, what we do with it, how long we keep it and individuals' rights under data protection legislation.

14. Individuals and organisations are legally required to provide inspectors with access to information. Section 10 of The Education Act 2005 gives inspectors powers of entry to any premises on which a school provides education to pupils and a right to inspect, and take copies of, any records kept by the school, and any other documents containing information relating to the school, that His Majesty's Chief Inspector ( HMCI) considers relevant to the discharge of their functions. These powers enable inspectors to look at computers and other devices that may hold relevant information. Regulations enable the Department for Education ( DfE) to provide Ofsted with information on individual pupils where it relates to school inspections.

15. Inspectors gather evidence on inspection and record this on Ofsted's systems. They may also see evidence on site that contains personal information about staff and young people, such as registers and lesson plans. Inspectors may take notes from, or copies of, this type of evidence before handing it back to an appropriate staff member at the end of the inspection. Any notes or copies will be stored as evidence securely and not retained by inspectors personally. Inspectors may take photographs of pupils' work. These photographs will be stored securely as evidence, but will not be retained by the inspector personally.

16. In most schools, inspectors will gather evidence electronically using a range of devices, including laptops, mobile phones and tablets. Inspectors should transfer evidence securely in line with our security policies.

Research on inspection

17. We may carry out research during our inspections. Where this happens, the research activity will have no impact on inspection judgements. In addition to this research approach, as our research work is based on our national priorities, we may invite providers to participate in research visits (separate to inspections) at other times.

Clarification for schools

Terminology

18. In this handbook:

the term 'school' refers to a maintained school or an academy, and the terms 'maintained school' or 'academy' will be used where applicable to that type of school only

the term 'leaders' refers to the staff in a school who are responsible for making key decisions about how the school operates, for example on matters such as the curriculum or behaviour. It will always include the headteacher and will likely include their senior staff, but will otherwise vary from school to school, especially depending on its size. In most schools, it will include middle or subject leaders who have responsibility for individual subjects and/or aspects of the curriculum. Additionally, in a trust, 'leaders' also includes leaders from within the trust (but not from governance roles) who have a role in running the school, including the trust chief executive officer ( CEO) and other roles such as executive headteacher or director of education

the term 'trust' refers to any academy trust, including single-academy trusts, multi-academy trusts and multi-academy companies (many dioceses use the term 'multi-academy companies'; these are legally identical to multi-academy trusts but use a different name)

the term 'board of governors' is used to refer to the accountable authority for a maintained school, and 'governors' is used to refer to members of that board. The board is the appropriate body of the school for the purposes of section 6 of the Education Act 2005

the term 'board of trustees' is used to refer to the accountable authority of a trust, and 'trustees' is used to refer to the trustees on that board (who may be referred to as directors if they are in multi-academy companies). The board is the appropriate body and the proprietor for standalone academies or for all the academies in a trust, for the purposes of section 6 of the Education Act 2005

the term 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean: pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last 6 years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route)

any reference to parents includes registered parents or carers

any reference to a school with serious weaknesses refers to a school that requires significant improvement under section 44 of the Education Act 2005

any reference to 'report' describes the formal written outcome from an inspection, which is usually published

Common misconceptions about inspection

19. The information below confirms our requirements. This is to correct common misconceptions about inspection that can result in unnecessary workload for schools. It is intended to highlight specific practices that we do not require.

Evidence for inspection

20. We do not require schools to do additional work or to ask pupils to do work specifically for the inspection, or create unnecessary workload for teachers through our recommendations.

21. We will not require schools to provide:

Involving leaders and governance in inspections

22. We will invite the headteacher and the chief executive officer ( CEO) of the trust (or their delegate) (where applicable) to observe the inspectors' team meeting at the end of each day. At least one other member of staff may attend the meeting to support the headteacher. This should typically be someone who deputises for them (or a member of trust staff) and who can understand and discuss the educational content of the meeting with the headteacher. Additional members of staff (this could include trust staff or a local authority representative) may attend at the discretion of the lead inspector, but attendees should be few in number to allow for a productive conversation in the time available. Leaders will attend the meeting to observe inspectors bringing the evidence together. On day 1, this will help leaders to decide what they want to draw inspectors' attention to, clarify any matters of fact and contribute to the construction of the day 2 timetable. On day 2, it will help leaders to understand the evidence on which the judgements are based. On inspections with a single inspector, the lead inspector will have a short discussion with the headteacher (and the CEO or their delegate, where applicable) at the end of each day to set out the emerging and final findings.

23. We will encourage maintained schools to invite any governor who is available and academies to invite any trustee who is available to meet inspectors during an inspection. These meetings may include a virtual option using video or telephone calls if necessary.

24. In academies, we expect to meet those directly responsible for management and governance, including the CEO or their delegate (or equivalent), the chair of the board of trustees (or their delegate) and other trustees. Inspectors will refer to the scheme of delegation and discuss this with the headteacher during their notification call, when deciding who may be the most appropriate individuals to speak to.

Evaluating the quality of education

25. We will judge schools that take radically different approaches to the curriculum fairly; inspectors will assess any school's curriculum favourably when leaders have built or adopted a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing and implemented it effectively.

26. We will not look unfavourably on schools that have adopted curriculum sequences created by others, for example commercial or local schemes. We will look at whatever curriculum the school is using. It is up to schools to determine their practices and it is up to leadership teams to justify these on their own merits rather than referring to this handbook.

27. We will not:

Staff information and professional development

28. The focus of these inspections is on schools and how all the individuals within them work together to make sure children receive the highest possible quality of education. The focus is not on inspecting the specific individuals that work in schools.

29. We will not provide schools with any information from any lesson visit with the intention that it be used in capability or disciplinary proceedings or for the purposes of performance management.

30. We will not routinely check personnel files, although inspectors may look at a small sample. They will also review the single central record for the school and at how the school undertakes necessary safeguarding checks.

31. We will not require schools to:

provide evidence of the monitoring of teaching, teachers' professional development or application of the teachers' standards, other than that which is already part of the school's normal activity

provide evidence about each teacher from each of the bulleted sub-headings in the teachers' standards

provide specific details of the pay grade of individual teachers who are observed during inspection

provide anonymised lists of teachers meeting or not meeting performance thresholds for pay progression

provide processes for the performance management arrangements for staff

use the EIF to grade teaching or individual lessons

include targets relating to the proportion of good or better teaching in the headteacher's objectives

set teachers' performance targets based on commercially produced predictions of pupils' achievement, or any other data set, from which it would then hold teachers to account

Safeguarding and security

32. We expect schools to maintain, as they are required to by 'Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges', a single central record of the safeguarding checks they carry out. The statutory guidance also requires trusts to record this information in a way that allows for details of each individual academy to be provided separately and without delay, even if it is held centrally.

33. We do not expect, and there is no requirement for, schools to apply retrospectively for Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS) checks for existing staff who already have a criminal record check. However, there are limited circumstances where schools and colleges will need to carry out new checks on existing staff for example, when an individual working at the school or college moves from a post that was not regulated activity with children into work which is considered to be regulated activity with children; there has been a break in service of 12 weeks or more, or there are concerns about an individual's suitability to work with children.

34. We expect schools to meet the other requirements of Keeping children safe in education, but have no additional or separate expectations of schools with respect to:

Part 1. How schools will be inspected

Basics of inspection

Timing of inspection

35. An inspection can take place at any point from 5 school days after the first day pupils attend in the autumn term. For example, if pupils return to school on a Wednesday, an inspection can take place as early as the following Wednesday.

36. Ofsted is required to inspect at prescribed intervals all schools to which section 5 applies. The law usually requires the maximum interval for inspections to be no more than 5 school years from the end of the school year in which the last relevant inspection took place. However, if a school's most recent graded or ungraded inspection was before 4 May 2021, the legal maximum for that school will, instead, be up to 7 years.

37. In general, our policy is that a school judged outstanding or good will usually be inspected within the 4 academic years following its last inspection, and a school judged requires improvement or inadequate will usually be inspected within 2.5 years.

38. However, the picture is currently more complicated for several reasons (see our blog on inspection timings for more information). The sections below will give you an indication of when your next inspection is likely to be. You can click on these links to take you directly to that section:

39. As has always been the case, the indications we give are only rough guides. We may inspect sooner if we need to (for example if we have concerns about a school). Further, if a school undergoes significant change, for example through merging with another school, its next inspection may be later to give time for these changes to bed in. We do not confirm exactly when a school will be inspected before we notify it officially.

Schools with an outstanding grade that were previously exempt from routine inspection

40. Timing of the next inspection for schools that were previously exempt from routine inspection due to an outstanding grade will depend on when the inspection was that graded that school outstanding. In some cases, this may be the date its predecessor school was inspected.

Date of last inspection (or of predecessor's last inspection)

Likely date of next inspection

Type of next inspection

Schools with a good or outstanding judgement who have had an ungraded inspection that recommended a follow-up graded inspection

41. If a school's most recent grade was good or outstanding but it has since had an ungraded inspection that recommended a follow-up graded inspection, the next inspection will be:

Date of ungraded inspection

Likely date of next inspection

Before September 2021

Before September 2023

After September 2021

Within 1 to 2 years of the ungraded inspection

Schools with a good or outstanding judgement

42. If a school's most recent grade was good or outstanding, and either:

then the next inspection will be:

Date of last inspection

Likely date of next inspection

Before September 2018

Before July 2024

Before April 2020

Before September 2025

After April 2021

Around 4 years after your last inspection

Schools with a requires improvement judgement

Date of last inspection

Likely date of next inspection

Before January 2020

Before January 2024

Before April 2020

Before January 2025

After April 2021

Within 2.5 years after your last inspection

Schools with an inadequate judgement

Date of last inspection

Likely date of next inspection

Before April 2020

Before July 2024

After April 2020

Within 2.5 years after your last inspection

43. This does not include schools that receive a new URN because they convert to an academy or move to a trust. We treat these as new schools.

Graded and ungraded inspections

44. The EIF and this handbook set out the statutory basis for school inspections carried out under the Education Act 2005.

45. This section of the handbook applies to graded and ungraded inspections of schools in England under sections 5 and 8 of the Education Act 2005, respectively. The schools subject to inspection under this section of the Act are:

maintained schools, including community, foundation and voluntary schools

maintained special schools, including community and foundation special schools

maintained nursery schools

certain non-maintained special schools approved by the Secretary of State under section 342 of the Education Act 1996

pupil referral units ( PRUs)

46. This handbook does not apply to monitoring programmes or inspections. The policy for these inspection events can be found in our monitoring handbook.

47. The further education and skills inspection handbook applies to 16 to 19 academies.

48. We identify a school by its unique reference number ( URN). Any institution with its own URN will be inspected in its own right. Schools that work in partnership with other schools, through federations, managed groups, chains or other collaborative activities, but that have a separate URN will be inspected as individual schools and separate inspection reports will be published. Schools that work on different sites, or that have different provisions, but share a single URN will be inspected as one body. We may, however, try to coordinate the inspection of certain groups of schools, where this is possible.

Graded inspections

49. All schools with a judgement of requires improvement or inadequate will receive a graded inspection, as will a selection of schools with an outstanding or good judgement (see 'risk assessment' section). A graded inspection uses our full framework and grades the school against our key judgement (and any relevant provision judgement) grade descriptors, and for its overall effectiveness (see part 3).

Ungraded inspections

50. Some good and outstanding schools will receive a graded inspection, but many will receive an ungraded inspection instead. An ungraded inspection differs from a graded inspection because it does not result in individual graded judgements but focuses on determining whether the school remains the same grade as at the school's previous graded inspection. It cannot change the overall effectiveness grade of the school. Very occasionally, an ungraded inspection can be 'deemed' to be a graded inspection under section 9 of the Education Act (see further details in the 'ungraded inspection deemed to be a graded inspection' section). Where this is the case, inspectors will make the full set of graded judgements using the 4-point grading scale required for graded inspections.

51. Usually, an ungraded inspection will be followed by a further ungraded inspection after approximately a 4-year interval. However, if inspectors find evidence that a school may no longer be at the same grade for overall effectiveness, they will specify that the next inspection should be a graded inspection, with the full range of graded judgements available. This should take place within 1 to 2 years. The 'outstanding schools that were formerly exempt from routine inspections' section sets out specific temporary rules about some outstanding schools.

52. As is the case for all schools, a good or outstanding school may still receive an urgent inspection (carried out under section 8) at any time in certain circumstances ( see part 4). For example, we may decide that we should inspect a school earlier than its next scheduled inspection if:

there are potential safeguarding issues and/or welfare concerns

there is a potential decline in the standards of pupils' behaviour and/or the ability of staff to maintain discipline

a subject or thematic survey inspection raises general concerns

we have received a qualifying complaint about the school that, taken alongside other available evidence, suggests that it would be appropriate to do so

concerns are raised about standards of leadership or governance

concerns are identified about the breadth and balance of the curriculum (including whether the statutory requirement to publish information to parents is not met)

HMCI or the Secretary of State have concerns about the school's performance

the Secretary of State requests an inspection for any other reason

Schools requesting an inspection

53. The board of governors of a maintained school or the board of trustees of an academy are able to request an inspection of an individual school for which they are responsible. This will be a graded inspection. It will be the same as an inspection carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, although it will technically be carried out under sections 8 and 9. If Ofsted carries out a requested inspection, HMCI may charge the appropriate authority for its cost.

New schools

54. We define a new school as a school with a new URN. The DfE provides all schools with a URN. If a school changes its status or undergoes significant change and receives a new URN, it becomes a new school for inspection purposes, except where that school was previously exempt from inspection. If the school retains its URN following a change, it will be treated as the same school.

55. Academies account for most new schools. These include free schools, former maintained schools that have voluntarily converted to become academies (academy converters), and former maintained schools that were judged as inadequate by Ofsted and were directed by the Secretary of State to become academies and join a trust.

56. Judgements made about a predecessor school with a different URN are not judgements about the new school, even if the new school is, or seems to be, substantially the same provision. Inspectors may look at the performance of any predecessor school as part of pre-inspection planning. They can look at this data to consider whether the new academy has improved on, or declined from, its predecessor's performance and whether it has tackled any areas of weakness or built on strengths from the predecessor school. However, inspectors will take care not to give undue weight to any progress or attainment compared with those of the predecessor. Inspectors will not take account of the predecessor's key judgements or areas for improvement when reaching their judgements about the new school. Inspectors will make clear to the new school the extent to which they have taken account of the performance data from its predecessor school(s) but judgements will be made about the current school only, not the predecessor.

57. The first inspection of a new school will normally take place as follows:

Date of school opening

Likely date of next inspection

Before September 2020

By the end of your 5th academic year

After September 2020

By the end of your 3rd academic year

58. New academy converters whose predecessor schools were judged good or outstanding at their last graded inspection will normally receive an ungraded inspection as their first inspection instead of a graded inspection. However, these schools may receive a graded inspection if we deem it necessary.

59. We will normally carry out ungraded inspections of academy converters approximately every 4 years (although see timing of inspection above). This is in line with ungraded inspections of other good and outstanding schools. However, when carrying out the first ungraded inspection of a new academy, we will consider the inspection history of the predecessor school to decide the timing of the inspection.

60. For inspections of academy converters that were formerly exempt from routine inspection because their predecessor schools were judged outstanding, the decision on when the first inspection will take place is determined by the most recent inspection of the school's predecessor school(s). We will also use this to determine whether the first inspection will be a graded or ungraded inspection. Further details are set out in the 'outstanding schools that were formerly exempt from routine inspections' section.

61. There are some new academy converters whose predecessor school was judged good, with evidence that it may have improved to outstanding at its most recent ungraded inspection, or the lead inspector was not satisfied that the school would receive at least its current grade if a graded inspection was carried out at that time. In both these circumstances, we informed the predecessor schools that their next inspection would be a graded inspection. If that graded inspection did not happen before the schools converted to academy status, the new academy converter will receive a graded inspection as its first inspection.

62. In both these circumstances, the graded inspection will normally take place:

63. The first graded inspection report of a new academy will state 'not previously inspected as an academy' (this will not apply if an existing academy is re-brokered and receives a new URN). The first graded inspection report of a converter academy will include, in the context section, a statement that follows the example below:

Piccadilly Gate Academy converted to become an academy on 1 September 2019. When its predecessor school, Piccadilly Gate Secondary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

Risk assessment

64. We use risk assessment to ensure that our approach to inspection is proportionate so that we can focus our efforts on where we can have the greatest impact. We use risk assessment, for example, to determine which good and outstanding schools will receive an ungraded inspection, and which will receive a graded inspection. Risk assessment is a desk-based review of relevant information pertaining to the school. The indicators that we analyse in our risk assessment are usually the most recent data available at that time.

65. We use a broad range of indicators to select schools for inspection. Therefore, receiving a graded inspection, rather than an ungraded inspection, does not mean that there are significant concerns about a school.

66. Our risk assessment methodology is updated and published yearly.

67. In a risk assessment, we analyse:

data from the DfE (for example, progress, attainment, attendance and exclusion data)

school workforce census data

the views of parents and carers, including those shown by Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents

qualifying complaints about the school referred to Ofsted

pupil mobility (this measures the amount of pupils leaving the school before the normal leaving age, or joining after the normal joining age, for that school)

the outcomes of any inspections that we have carried out since the last graded or ungraded inspection

statutory warning notices

any other significant concerns that are brought to our attention

Outstanding schools that were formerly exempt from routine inspections

68. Between 15 May 2012 and 13 November 2020, mainstream primary and secondary schools judged to be outstanding in their overall effectiveness at their most recent graded inspection were exempt from routine inspections. These schools are now once again subject to routine inspections. This also applies to academy converter schools that were formerly exempt because the overall effectiveness of their predecessor school was outstanding at its most recent graded inspection.

69. All formerly exempt schools will receive an initial inspection by July 2025. However, for that inspection they will not be subject to the risk assessment process set out above. Those schools that last received a graded inspection before September 2015 will receive an initial graded inspection. Schools that last received a graded inspection after this date will normally receive an initial ungraded inspection. If that ungraded inspection indicates that outstanding performance may not have been maintained, we will normally carry out a graded inspection within the next 12 months or as soon as possible thereafter and, in any event, before 1 August 2026. Beyond these initial inspections, future inspections of these schools will take place as set out in the 'inspection timings' section above.

Provision for 2- and 3-year-olds

70. Schools that take 2- and 3-year-olds as part of their early years provision may not need to register that provision with Ofsted. In these cases, we will inspect provision for 2- and 3-year-olds on both ungraded and graded inspections. On graded inspections, inspectors will ensure that the judgement on the effectiveness of early years provision includes an evaluation of the provision for 2- and 3-year-olds. Inspectors will also note if any children receive additional funding.

71. Any care that a school provides for children in the early years age range, before and/or after the school day or during the school holidays, is considered as part of the evaluation of the school's early years provision.

Inspections of boarding and residential special schools

72. When a boarding or residential special school's graded or ungraded inspection is due in the same financial year as the full inspection of its boarding or residential provision, we will normally carry out an aligned inspection.

73. Aligned inspections are carried out by 2 separate inspection teams (education and social care). They result in 2 sets of graded judgements and 2 separate published reports. We will also publish on our reports website a summary letter using extracts from both reports.

74. Inspectors make the judgements for boarding or residential provision in accordance with the guidance and grade descriptors in the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF): boarding schools and residential special schools. Inspectors carry out the inspection of the education provision under the EIF.

75. Education inspectors will consider the impact of the boarding/residential judgements on the overall effectiveness judgement for the whole school. They will take account of the proportion of boarders/residential pupils who also attend the school and the seriousness of any issues found.

76. In practice, inspectors from both teams will work closely together to plan the inspection activities. They will discuss their findings throughout the inspections. They will normally carry out meetings with key personnel, such as the designated safeguarding lead(s) and the governors/trustees, together. The 2 teams will share inspection evidence where it is appropriate to do so. Examples of when it is appropriate to share evidence include assessing pupils' attendance, the strengths of the links between the day school and the boarding or residential provision, and if concerns are raised with inspectors about the welfare of the children in the school and/or boarding or residential provision.

77. We will notify the provider of the aligned inspections at around 2pm on the day before both inspections are due to start. The lead education and social care inspectors will then follow this notification call with separate calls to the headteacher and head of boarding, respectively. All education and social care teams will arrive and leave the school at the same time at the beginning and at the end of the inspection. Arrival and departure times throughout the inspection will differ according to the requirements of each remit's framework.

78. In instances when the boarding/residential inspection is aligned with an ungraded inspection and that inspection is deemed to be a graded inspection, the inspections will cease to be aligned at that point. They will continue as stand-alone events.

Inspections of schools that are registered as children's homes

79. A graded or ungraded inspection of the education in a school that is also registered as a children's home may take place as a stand-alone inspection of the education provision or at the same time as the full inspection of the children's home. This applies to residential special schools that offer residential provision for more than 295 days a year and must therefore be registered as a children's home.

80. When possible, we will attempt to carry out both inspections at the same time so that inspectors may work together and share evidence. In practice, inspectors from both teams will work closely together to plan inspection activities. They may carry out meetings with key personnel, such as the designated safeguarding lead(s) and the proprietor, together. The 2 teams will discuss their findings throughout the inspections and will share inspection evidence, where it is appropriate to do so. Examples of when it is appropriate to share evidence include assessing pupils' attendance, the strengths of the links between the day school and the children's home provision, and if concerns are raised with inspectors about the welfare of children in the day school and/or children's home.

81. When the education inspection of a school that is also registered as a children's home takes place as a standalone event, inspectors must read the most recent education and children's home reports on the preparation day. They must make themselves aware of any current issues concerning children's welfare that may affect aspects of the school inspection by contacting the lead social care regulatory inspector or that inspector's manager. Inspectors will ensure that they take these into consideration during the inspection.

Concurrent inspections

82. We may schedule inspections at the same time for 'linked provision', which is when one or more schools have arrangements to share important aspects of their provision, such as sixth-form programmes or an inclusion unit. Inspectors will make sure that they communicate with each other before and during the inspections. They will also share evidence electronically where it is appropriate to do so. Inspectors can share:

83. Inspectors will not rely solely on this shared evidence to make their judgements. Shared information must be followed up by inspectors' own evidence gathering.

Before the inspection

Notification and lead inspector's preparation

Notification

84. We will normally contact the school by telephone to announce a graded, ungraded or urgent inspection between 9.30am and 2pm on the school day before the inspection.

85. By exception, we reserve the right to carry out a graded, ungraded or urgent inspection without notice. Where this is the case, the lead inspector will normally telephone the school about 15 minutes before arriving on site.

86. If the headteacher is unavailable when the notification call is made, we will ask to speak to the most senior member of school staff available. Once we have informed the school by telephone that the inspection will take place, we will send confirmation to the school by email.

87. During the initial notification phone call, we will ask the school to confirm the information we hold about the provision. This will include the number of pupils on roll at the school, the governance arrangements for the school and whether the school has any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities ( SEND), nursery provision for 2- and 3-year-olds or additional resource provision. We will also ask if any adult lives on the school premises. If adults do live on the premises, inspectors will consider the school's risk assessment in assessing the school's safeguarding. Schools will be expected to demonstrate they have fully assessed any risks to children, including in their safeguarding check of residents, in their assessing of access between the residential accommodation and the rest of the premises, and in their consideration of other individuals (such as family members and visitors) that will access the residential accommodation. In academies, there should also be a discussion about who (in the trust and in the school) has responsibility for key decisions like behaviour policy and curriculum content.

88. We will then send the school a letter setting out key information for leaders to be aware of before the inspection. This will include:

Requests for deferral or cancellation

89. While it is important that we carry out our planned inspections wherever possible, sometimes there may be reasons that a planned inspection may not go ahead and so a school may request a deferral of an inspection. A school may make a request during the initial notification phone call, or at the earliest opportunity afterwards, before the start of the inspection. Inspections may also, exceptionally, need to be paused once inspectors have arrived on site (see the 'pausing school inspection' section). We will not normally consider requests for deferral if we receive them after 4.30pm on the day the school is notified. The inspection support administrator or lead inspector must immediately contact the regional duty desk. We will decide whether to grant a deferral in accordance with our deferral policy.

90. Normally, if the school is providing education to pupils, an inspection will go ahead. In exceptional circumstances, however, an inspection might be cancelled or deferred after the school has been notified, following a request made by the school. We will aim to let the school know whether a request is granted on the same day it is made, but in some cases, particularly when the request for deferral comes later, this may happen by 8am the next morning.

91. If a school is within 6 months of confirmed closure, and this is evidenced in a funding agreement, for example, but the school does not request a cancellation when notified of an inspection, the lead inspector will call the regional duty desk to highlight this and get advice about whether the inspection should still be carried out. Decisions will be made case by case.

92. In the case of an inspection without notice, any requests for a deferral will be passed to Ofsted's relevant regional director, who will decide whether the request can be granted.

Preparatory telephone call(s) from the lead inspector to the headteacher

93. Once we have informed the school of the inspection, the lead inspector will contact the school by telephone or video and ask to speak to the headteacher. This is an opportunity for the headteacher to provide a fuller context of the school that may not be expressed sufficiently through data alone. It is also an opportunity for the headteacher to discuss the particular circumstances of the school that have had a role in the decisions made by leaders. Inspectors' preparatory telephone conversations with headteachers have 2 elements:

94. The lead inspector will encourage the headteacher to have at least one other senior leader present during both calls, to assist and support them. This will usually be colleagues who typically deputise for them (or a member of trust staff) and who can understand and discuss the educational content of the calls.

95. We understand that there is a great deal of information to be discussed at this stage of the inspection. For this reason it may be helpful to discuss these elements in 2 or more separate conversations with a break in between. The lead inspector will discuss what will work best for the headteacher.

Inspection planning conversation

96. This conversation will be short and focused on practical issues. The lead inspector will:

check on the headteacher's well-being, and find out whether any steps need to be taken to ensure any issues or concerns are addressed, including that appropriate support is available. The lead inspector should ascertain how to contact whoever is responsible for the headteacher's well-being on a day-to-day basis (normally the local authority or trust), so that they can pass on well-being concerns when appropriate and necessary

make the school aware of its statutory duty to inform parents of the inspection and that the Ofsted Parent View tool is the main method for gathering the views of parents at the point of inspection; inspectors will remind the school that Ofsted's letter to parents containing the link to Ofsted Parent View may be sent electronically, or a paper copy may be given to pupils to take home

check that the school has received the links to staff and pupil surveys in the notification letter

confirm whether the school has a religious character

establish whether the school is part of any wider federation or partnership arrangement

discuss the nature of any specially resourced provision or designated unit for pupils with SEND or other pupils, if applicable, including:

the number of pupils who have been placed in provision funded from a resource base, and the range of these pupils' needs

pupils' timetables, including when they are taught in mainstream classes (with and without support) and when they receive specialist support in a separate resource base

the type(s) of language and/or communication systems used; if the specialist provision is for deaf pupils, it is important to establish whether it uses British Sign Language and whether the school will provide a British Sign Language interpreter when inspectors meet with the pupils. If the school is not providing an interpreter but one is needed, the lead inspector will contact the regional duty desk as soon as possible

staffing arrangements and details of any outreach services provided by the resource base

establish whether the school provides any other alternative or specially resourced provision/designated units for particular pupils

discuss any nursery provision (see the 'provision for 2- and 3-year-olds' section), before- and/or after-school care and holiday clubs led and managed directly by the school, particularly if these take 2- to 8-year-olds (if the school offers before and/or after-school care for its own pupils, inspectors will consider this provision as part of the school inspection)

establish whether the school is linked to a children's home, and if so whether the children's home is managed by the school

clarify whether the school has boarding or residential provision, and if so the:

establish whether the school has any pupils who attend off-site alternative provision, either full time or part time, run either by the school or by a different organisation; if the school uses off-site alternative provision, the lead inspector will ask for further details about this, including:

the number of pupils who attend

the number of off-site alternative providers used currently

the URNs and addresses of the alternative providers

the names and addresses of the alternative providers (if there is no URN for one or more alternative providers)

the range of needs that these providers cater for

the timetables for the pupils who attend

arrange to visit a sample of off-site alternative providers during the inspection. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered alternative providers during the inspection, as directed by the relevant Ofsted region. Any registered alternative provision that we have not yet inspected will normally be visited during the inspection (see 'Evaluating schools' use of alternative provision on graded inspections')

establish which approach to the early career framework the school is using for early career teachers (ECTs)

ask the headteacher if the school is experiencing, or has recently experienced, any tensions in or pressures from the community. If it has, the inspector will ask for details, including what the headteacher/school has done in response

invite the headteacher and other leaders, as agreed by the lead inspector and headteacher, to take part in joint visits to lessons

make arrangements for meetings with relevant staff (and any person that the staff member wishes to be present for those meetings)

agree whether it may be pragmatic to do some elements of the inspection through video or telephone calls. This will usually only be to involve parents and those with leadership, trust or governance responsibility who are unable to attend

ask the headteacher to read Ofsted's code of conduct, which sets out expectations for both inspectors and providers, and explain that if the headteacher has any concerns about inspectors not acting in accordance with the code of conduct, they should raise this as soon as possible with the lead inspector. This is so that any issues can be resolved before the inspection is completed

provide an opportunity for the school to give us information about any other factors they consider relevant to their current context, and ask any questions or to raise any concerns, such as perceived conflicts of interest

give the school an opportunity to raise any issues or concerns, or to seek clarification before the inspection, and explain how the school will be able to raise any matters during the inspection itself

97. To help leaders understand how the inspection is progressing and to maintain constructive professional dialogue, the lead inspector will use this call to invite the headteacher, and at least one other member of staff, to observe the inspection team meetings at the end of each day. The lead inspector will make it clear that attendance at the meeting is optional and that the headteacher may leave at any point if they wish. The lead inspector will also explain to leaders that, on day 1, the aim is to help them identify what other evidence they want to draw inspectors' attention to, provide clarification on any matters of fact and contribute to the construction of the day 2 timetable. On day 2, the meeting will help leaders to understand the evidence on which judgements are based.

98. The lead inspector will also ask the school to provide certain information as early as possible to aid preparation. This will include:

99. It is important that inspectors speak to leaders and governors/trustees during inspections. There are a wide variety of leadership and governance models in the school sector, so it is essential that inspectors establish who is responsible for what.

100. In a maintained school, the lead inspector will:

establish the governance structure of the school and confirm arrangements for meetings with the school, the board of governors and anyone else the lead inspector thinks would be relevant

make arrangements for, as a minimum, a meeting with the chair of the board of governors and as many governors as are available

ask the school to invite as many governors as are available to attend the final feedback meeting

request either a face-to-face meeting or a telephone call with a representative from the local authority, diocese or other relevant responsible body

request that a representative from the local authority, diocese or other relevant responsible body is present at the final inspection feedback meeting

invite the school to consider if there are any reasons, of either a personal or professional nature, that may mean they wish to ask for a deferral.

101. In an academy, the lead inspector will:

establish the governance structure of the academy and of the trust

consult the academy and trust in order to determine the different levels of responsibility and oversight within the trust and so who they need to meet from the trust

if the trust has delegated responsibilities to local committees (known as local governing bodies in trusts' articles of association), clarify where responsibility lies and who they should talk to during the inspection. This should be set out in a scheme of delegation. Academies should also set out their governance structure in their annual financial statements, which can generally be found on the DfE performance tables site

confirm arrangements for a meeting with leaders (in both the academy and the trust) that will include the CEO and anyone else agreed between the headteacher, CEO and lead inspector (see 'approach to the trust in school inspections' section below)

make arrangements for one meeting, as a minimum, with the chair of the board of trustees (or their delegate) and as many trustees as are available. Inspectors will also ask the school to invite as many trustees as are available to attend the final feedback meeting

request either a face-to-face meeting or a telephone call with a representative from the diocese, sponsor or other relevant responsible body

request that a representative from the diocese, sponsor or other relevant responsible body attends the final inspection feedback meeting

invite the school to consider if there are any reasons, of either a personal or professional nature, that may mean they wish to ask for a deferral.

102. If any issues arise, the lead inspector may also need further clarification from the school, for example when information is not available on the school's website.

Preparation carried out by the lead inspector

103. To prepare for the educationally focused conversation, and the inspection as a whole, inspectors will review and consider:

other information on Ofsted's provider information portal, which provides a high-level view of information about providers that we inspect and regulate, including any warning notices

relevant publicly available information, such as the school's website and the trust's website, including:

a statement of the school's values and ethos

the school's opening hours

information about the curriculum

information about the use of tutoring in the school

any other information about the school (including safeguarding) that is publicly available, including information reported in the press or online

the most recent inspection report on the relevant local authority's children's services

the main findings from the relevant local area SEND inspection, including (where relevant) arrangements for identifying, assessing and meeting the needs of young children with SEND

information published by local authorities, the DfE (including the Education and Skills Funding Agency and regional school commissioners) and the police

The educationally focused conversation

104. The educationally focused conversation will normally last around 90 minutes, but may be longer. It will help the lead inspector and headteacher to establish a constructive professional relationship for the inspection and give them a shared understanding of the starting point of the inspection. It will also help inspectors to form an initial understanding of leaders' views of the school and its progress since the previous inspection.

105. This conversation will be used to agree the day 1 inspection plan with the headteacher.

106. We encourage headteachers to have at least one other senior leader present during this call, to assist and support them. This will usually be staff who typically deputise for them (or a member of trust staff) and who can understand and discuss the educational content of the calls. They may also wish to have someone present to take notes.

107. Inspectors will use this conversation to understand:

the school's context, and the progress it has made since the previous inspection, including any specific progress made on areas for improvement identified at previous inspections that remain relevant under the current inspection framework

the specific impact of COVID-19 on the school and how leaders are responding to the ongoing impact. We recognise that responding to COVID-19 has placed great demands on leaders and detailed discussions of this may be required to understand the school's context

the headteacher's assessment of the school's current strengths and weaknesses, particularly in relation to: the curriculum, the way teaching supports pupils to learn the curriculum, the standards that pupils achieve, pupils' behaviour and attitudes, and the personal development of pupils

Where the school is an academy, the role of trust leaders, including which decisions are made centrally by them, and which are delegated to the headteacher and/or other school leaders (see 'approach to the trust in school inspections' section below).

the specific areas or subjects of the school curriculum that should be focused on during inspection - during this call, inspectors will also agree with the head which subjects will receive a deep dive during the inspection

SEND resource bases

108. If the school has a SEND resource base delegated to it by the local authority, that resource base must be inspected as part of the school inspection. Inspectors will consider evidence about the resource base when making judgements about the school overall.

Information that schools must provide by 8am on the day of inspection

109. We will send the school a letter setting out that the following information must be made available to inspectors by 8am the next day, at the formal start of the inspection:

strategic documents about the school, including:

anything that sets out school improvement planning or the longer-term vision for the school, such as the school or the trust's strategy

for maintained schools, minutes of governors' meetings and other relevant strategic documentation about governance that the school may have

for academies, minutes of board of trustees' meetings and other relevant strategic documentation about the trust that the school may have

a summary of any school self-evaluation or equivalent

any reports from any external evaluation of the school

operational documents, including:

access to wifi, if it exists, so that inspectors can connect to the internet

maps and other practical information

the school timetable, current staff list (indicating , mentors and induction tutors) and times for the school day, including any planned interruptions to normal school routines during the inspection and whether any teachers should not be visited for any reason

Safeguarding information

110. On arrival at the school, inspectors must have secure access to safeguarding information, including:

the single central record for the school

a list of any referrals made to the designated safeguarding lead in the school and those that were subsequently referred to the local authority, along with brief details of the resolution (a very short summary of how the school dealt with the matter and assurance that pupils have received the appropriate help)

any referrals made to the local authority designated officer regarding staff or other adults

a list of all pupils who have open cases with children's services or social care and all pupils who have a multi-agency plan. This is to ensure that the school knows who these pupils are, and meets the pupils' requirements in respect of their open cases or multi-agency plans. Inspectors may select some children to sample to ensure the school is doing what is required by 'Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges'.

111. Schools and inspectors must ensure that all actions are compliant with legal requirements on information-handling.

Seeking the views of parents, staff and pupils

Seeking the views of parents

112. We will provide schools with a letter to pass on to parents that formally notifies them of a graded or ungraded inspection. This letter explains how to use Ofsted Parent View and how parents can contact inspectors. Schools should encourage parents to complete the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire by placing a link to it on their website. In addition, inspectors will encourage the school to notify parents using its own electronic systems (such as text messages), if these are available.

113. Schools will be expected to provide these details to parents on both graded and ungraded inspections. However, schools should note that, for graded inspections, they are required by law to take any reasonably practicable steps to notify the parents of registered pupils at the school, including the parents of those who have been suspended, attend alternative provision or are away from school. Schools are also required by law to notify relevant bodies, including providers of alternative provision. Similarly, inspectors have a statutory duty to have regard to the views of parents and other relevant persons on graded inspections.

114. Inspectors will review the evidence from Ofsted Parent View throughout the inspection to ensure that all online responses received during the inspection are taken into account. If the response rate for Ofsted Parent View is low, inspectors may take steps during the inspection to gather further evidence of parents' views. Inspectors will do this on both graded and ungraded inspections, but it should be noted that inspectors have a specific statutory duty to have regard of the views of parents and other relevant persons on a graded inspection.

115. Inspectors will also take into account any other evidence from parents, including the results of any past surveys the school has carried out or commissioned. If individual parents raise serious issues, inspectors will follow these up with the school and record its response.

116. During aligned inspections of boarding or residential special schools, inspectors will take account of the views that parents have given on Ofsted Parent View about the school's boarding or residential provision. They will also take account of the views of children and young people who are boarders or residential pupils, and those of boarding staff, which will have been gathered through Ofsted's annual point-in-time surveys.

Meetings with staff, pupils and parents

117. During the inspection, inspectors will need to speak to staff in a range of different roles. They will do so in line with our code of conduct, and at all times act with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect.

118. Staff (including leaders at all levels) may always be accompanied by another appropriate person when speaking to inspectors. However, it is important that staff are able to express their views freely to inspectors.

119. Inspectors should take careful account of the well-being of leaders and staff and adjust their approach or activity, as appropriate, as they go about their inspection work in the best interests of pupils. If inspectors see or suspect that a staff member (including all leaders and the headteacher) is upset or distressed at any point during the inspection, inspectors should respond sensitively. Where appropriate, inspectors will consider suitable adjustments to enable the staff member to continue. Where appropriate, inspectors will inform those responsible for the person's well-being. The lead inspector should contact the duty desk to discuss what action to take.

120. In exceptional circumstances, inspectors may need to consider pausing the inspection.

121. Meetings with pupils or parents must take place without the presence of any leaders or staff, unless there are relevant exceptional circumstances.

Pupil and staff questionnaires

122. The views of pupils and staff in schools are gathered through online questionnaires. The inspection support administrator sends online links to the school with the formal notification of inspection. The school is asked to encourage staff and pupils to complete the online questionnaires, except for those pupils in any boarding provision whose views will have already been sought through the point-in-time survey. Pupils and staff should complete their questionnaires by 3pm on the first day of the inspection. For ungraded inspections of schools with fewer than 150 pupils (which take place over 1 day), questionnaires should be completed by 11am on the day of inspection.

123. Inspectors may also gather evidence from pupils, parents or other stakeholders in person. This may include informal meetings at the start and/or end of the day. In drawing on evidence from these meetings, every attempt must be made to protect the identity of individuals. There may be circumstances, however, in which it is not possible to guarantee the anonymity of the interviewee. Inspectors have a duty to pass on disclosures that raise child protection or safeguarding issues and/or when there are concerns about serious misconduct, bullying of staff or criminal activity.

The inspection

124. Graded and ungraded inspections normally last 2 days. However, an ungraded inspection of a primary school or maintained nursery school with fewer than 150 pupils or children on its roll will normally last for 1 day. The size of the inspection team will vary according to the size and nature of the school. Inspection activity will take place over both days of the inspection.

125. On each day of the inspection, inspectors will not arrive before 8am and will leave by 6pm except in exceptional circumstances (although they may need to stay later for inspections in boarding and residential schools).

126. On aligned inspections of boarding and residential special schools, the social care regulatory inspectors may stay into the evening to ensure that they are able to meet boarding or residential pupils and see the boarding or residential provision operating. How long they stay will depend on their lines of enquiry.

Pausing inspections

127. There may be exceptional occasions when a pause to inspection needs to be considered. We will consider these on a case-by-case basis according to our published guidance on pausing school inspections. This policy sets out in detail how to request a pause in inspection, the importance of leader and staff welfare, the role of the responsible body, and how leaders, responsible bodies and others can contact a senior leader in Ofsted directly if they have issues they do not feel they can raise directly with the lead inspector.

Inspection methodology

128. Our framework puts a series of joined-up professional conversations about education at the heart of inspection. It uses a 3-part methodology to inspect schools on graded and ungraded inspections. Through this methodology, inspectors build a view of the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and leadership and management:

129. Inspectors' priority during inspections is to collect first-hand evidence.

Approach to the trust in school inspections

130. Inspectors will recognise that trusts are a single legal entity and that decisions made by individual academies and those by trust leaders cannot easily be separated, although inspectors must focus on decisions that impact only the specific academy they are inspecting. Inspectors will ensure that, through conversation with leaders (in the school and the trust), they identify the correct leaders, in the individual academy and the wider trust, to meet with during the course of the inspection. They will also recognise that trusts retain overall legal responsibility for all matters in the school, even where matters are delegated.

131. Inspectors will recognise that the trust leaders they need to speak to may be those who have delegated responsibility and that, where trusts are large, for example, this may be more than 1 person. Inspectors will not limit attendance at meetings or on inspection activities but will use their professional judgement to ensure that the right individuals are present and makes the most effective and efficient use of time.

132. Inspectors will, as a minimum, want to meet the CEO if possible but will recognise that (especially in large trusts) CEOs may need other senior trust leaders present to support these meetings. However, inspectors will want to understand how all leaders ensure that delegated responsibilities are carried out effectively, including how leaders assure themselves that systems are working as intended.

Keeping leaders informed

133. At the heart of our inspections is a professional dialogue between inspectors and leaders and so the lead inspector will agree a process for keeping leaders informed of progress throughout the inspection. This will normally mean regular meetings with the headteacher and/or any other previously agreed school leader(s) (at a minimum, at the start, middle and end of each day) to:

Early career teachers

134. Inspectors will meet ECTs where possible and may wish to visit ECTs' lessons. When the lead inspector requests a copy of the current staff list, they must ask whether it includes any ECTs and/or any trainees on placement, including those on School Direct or School Direct (salaried) training routes or post-graduate teaching apprenticeships ( PGTA).

135. Inspectors will take into account the fact that ECTs have less experience than other teachers. However, they must assess the effectiveness of the support and professional development put in place for ECTs to ensure that ECTs have the knowledge and skills necessary to teach in their chosen subject or phase.

136. Inspectors should also gather ECTs' views on how the school is supporting their development, including the quality of mentoring and how the school ensures that they access their entitlement to training under the ECF. Inspectors will also discuss how the school supports ECTs in managing pupils' behaviour.

137. Inspectors will meet with mentors and, where possible, the induction tutor. Inspectors will meet any trainees employed by the school on the School Direct (salaried) route or PGTA route to assess their support, mentoring and induction.

138. Inspectors will not visit lessons taught by trainees. The teachers' standards state that providers will assess trainees against the standards in a way that is consistent with what could reasonably be expected of a trainee teacher before the awarding of qualified teacher status ( QTS). Inspectors will not take trainees' performance into account when assessing the quality of education.

Meeting governors/trustees

139. Inspectors will want to meet those responsible for governance during the inspection. In a maintained school, this will usually be the school governors. In an academy, this will be the board of trustees.

140. In a school that is part of a trust, the board of trustees is the accountable entity and governance body. Often, local governing bodies can appear responsible for governance, when in reality it is trustees who are accountable for the academy trust. Local governing bodies are committees to which trustees may choose to delegate some specific responsibilities, but in some cases, they may act purely as advisory bodies and engage with the community. Their responsibilities are set out in the trust's scheme of delegation. Sometimes, their powers are delegated from trust leaders; if this is the case, they are part of the school's management, not its governance. Inspectors will therefore need to be careful to establish who has overall responsibility for governance. Inspectors will also ensure that meetings are with those who are directly responsible for exercising governance of the school and for overseeing its performance.

141. Inspectors will take account of the specific context of the school in deciding who to speak to. For example, this may include inviting diocesan representatives for a multi-academy company.

142. The role that governors and trustees play in the school's performance is evaluated as part of the judgement on the effectiveness of leadership and management.

143. As with meetings with pupils and parents, meetings or telephone discussions with those responsible for governance should take place without leaders being present (except where leaders are also trustees), unless there are exceptional circumstances that have been discussed with the lead inspector.

Other evidence

144. Inspectors will also scrutinise a range of school records, documentation and information relating to, for example, pupils' behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

145. We may use the evidence that inspectors gather during inspections to inform other work, such as national reporting, for example our education recovery series.

Inspection of religious education and collective worship

146. The Secretary of State designates certain schools as having a religious character. In a faith school, pupils are educated in the context of the principle of a religion. It is normal for there to be a formal link with a religious organisation. In schools without a religious character, we inspect religious education ( RE) and collective worship as part of our graded inspections. This is different in schools with a religious character. In most of these schools, denominational education and collective worship are inspected by a body appointed by the maintained school's board of governors under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 or as provided in the academy's funding agreement. In a voluntary controlled school designated as having a religious character, we inspect RE, but not collective worship.

147. Inspectors may gather evidence from anywhere relevant (including RE lessons and assemblies) to evaluate pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, personal development and/or behaviour and attitudes.

148. The fact that the school has been designated as having a religious character must be referenced in the 'information about this school' section of the inspection report.

149. Section 48 inspections or the equivalent inspection of an academy) are usually carried out every 3 to 5 years (and usually within 2 to 3 years of a new voluntary-aided school or academy or free school opening). Section 48 inspections were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and restarted in September 2021. The first inspection will be within 8 years of the last, rather than the usual 3 to 5 years. The lead inspector on a graded inspection will check the section 48 arrangements. This includes when the next inspection is due and when the last inspection was. They will write about this in the inspection report. They will ensure that the required consultation has taken place with the prescribed faith body, when a school has a prescribed faith body and decides not to use that body's inspection service but to appoint its own inspector.

150. Inspectors will familiarise themselves with any issues raised in any section 48 inspection (or equivalent) held since the last Ofsted inspection. Inspectors will not, however, use that evidence in an Ofsted inspection. The lead inspector will note in the inspection report if the section 48 inspection (or equivalent inspection of an academy) is overdue and that, therefore, the school is failing in its statutory duty.

151. If a section 48 inspection (or equivalent inspection of an academy) happens at the same time as an Ofsted graded inspection, inspectors will mention this in the 'information about this school' section.

Specific matters for graded inspections

Inspection of the school's approach to harmful sexual behaviour

152. On graded inspections, we will look at how leaders ensure that their school's culture addresses harmful sexual behaviour. Inspectors will expect schools to assume that sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence are happening in the community, and potentially in the school, even when there are no specific reports, and put in place a whole-school approach to address them.

153. Schools should have appropriate and well-communicated school-wide policies in place that make it clear that sexual harassment (including sexual harassment through sexualised language), online sexual abuse and sexual violence are unacceptable. Those policies should be consistently reflected throughout the school (see paragraphs 302, 327, and 390 to 391).

Specific matters for ungraded inspections

154. On ungraded inspections, inspectors will normally adopt the same methodology for inspecting the quality of education and safeguarding as that used on a graded inspection outlined in the 'quality of education' section and 'safeguarding' section.

155. They will also focus on a number of other areas within the graded inspection framework, as set out below.

Attendance - inspectors will consider whether the school is doing all they reasonably can to achieve the highest possible attendance

Behaviour - inspectors will not make a judgement on all the criteria contained in the 'behaviour and attitudes' judgement. Nevertheless, they will consider 2 key factors:

whether the school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct and applies these expectations consistently and fairly. Inspectors will also consider whether this is reflected in pupils' positive behaviour and conduct. They will consider whether staff make sure that pupils follow appropriate routines, whether low-level disruption is not tolerated and whether pupils' behaviour does not disrupt lessons or the day-to-day life of the school

whether leaders, staff and pupils create a positive environment in which bullying is not tolerated. If bullying, aggression, discrimination and derogatory language occur, they are dealt with quickly and effectively and are not allowed to spread

Gaming and off-rolling - when carrying out inspection activities, inspectors will be particularly alert to any evidence that suggests that the school may be gaming or off-rolling. Definitions of these can be found in the 'evaluating gaming on a graded inspection and 'evaluating a school's approach to inclusion and off-rolling on a graded inspection' sections.

Pupils' wider development - inspectors will consider:

the extent to which the curriculum goes beyond the academic, vocational or technical

whether the school provides effectively for pupils' broader development

whether the school's work to enhance pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of a high quality

secondary schools' approach to careers information, education, advice and guidance ( CIEAG). Definitions of this can be found in the 'careers provision' section. If a school is not meeting its requirements in respect of CIEAG, inspectors will state this in the inspection report

156. Where the lead inspector has concerns about any of the above, this could be evidence that the school would no longer receive at least its current grade if a graded inspection were to be carried out, and, where those concerns are serious, could suggest that the inspection needs to be deemed a graded inspection.

Providing feedback

157. At the end of the final day of the inspection, inspectors will make an overall evaluation of the evidence and make their final judgements. They will record the main points for feedback to the school in the evidence base. The on-site inspection ends with a final feedback meeting with the school. Those connected with the school who may attend include:

the headteacher and, for an academy, the CEO (or equivalent or delegate)

any person the headteacher or CEO wants present to assist and support them

for maintained schools, the chair of the school's board of governors and as many governors as are available; the clerk to governors (or equivalent), or their delegate, may also attend to take notes (there can be more than one note-taker if desired)

for academies, the chair of the board of trustees, or their delegate, and as many trustees as are available; the clerk to the board, or their delegate, may also attend to take notes (there can be more than one note-taker if desired)

a representative from the local authority (always for maintained schools and additionally for academies where safeguarding is found to be ineffective)

a representative from the sponsor and/or the designated responsible body, diocese or other responsible body

in an aligned inspection, social care regulatory inspectors and education inspectors, who will provide feedback to education and residential staff

158. Due to the diverse nature of school governance, in some schools a single individual may have more than one of the above roles.

159. The lead inspector may agree that other leaders can attend. If the feedback is likely to be challenging or is likely to raise difficult issues, the lead inspector will be sensitive to any implications arising from this feedback and will, therefore, discuss with the headteacher which other people may attend to ensure the necessary support for school leaders.

160. Attendance at the feedback meeting is voluntary and any attendee may leave at any time, including leaving for a short time and then returning.

161. During this meeting, the lead inspector will ensure that the headteacher, the CEO, governors, trustees and all other attendees are clear:

Procedures when judging a school as inadequate on a graded inspection

162. If, by the end of the first day of the inspection or during day 2, before the final feedback meeting the lead inspector thinks it is possible that the school's overall effectiveness is inadequate and that it might be judged to have serious weaknesses or to require special measures, they must make the school's leadership aware of this. (see the 'keeping leaders informed') section. The lead inspector must also ring Ofsted's duty desk.

163. The lead inspector will be asked for their name and the name and URN of the school. They will then be put through to one of the HMI on duty. In this call, the lead inspector must talk through the evidence used by inspector(s) in reaching an emerging provisional judgement of inadequate. The overall effectiveness judgement is not confirmed at this point. The lead inspector must record the main points of the conversation in the evidence base.

164. During the second day of the inspection, the lead inspector may contact the duty desk again to discuss emerging findings. If the inspection team has made the provisional judgement that the school is inadequate and has serious weaknesses or requires special measures, the lead inspector must telephone the duty desk before the final oral feedback meeting with the school. The lead inspector will be prepared to explain briefly the reasons and underpinning evidence for the inadequate judgement.

Informing a school that it is deemed to be causing concern

165. If a school is provisionally judged to require special measures or to have serious weaknesses, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school, indicating that the overall effectiveness judgement is subject to moderation by HMIs and, in the case of special measures, agreement by HMCI.

When the school has serious weaknesses:

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is likely to be of the opinion that this school has serious weaknesses because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances be reasonably expected to perform.

When the school requires special measures:

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is likely to be of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

166. The implications for schools causing concern are set out in the 'schools causing concern' section.

167. The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 2012 state that a maintained school that has been judged to require special measures must not appoint ECTs unless HMCI has given permission in writing. When the lead inspector has informed a maintained school that it may not appoint ECTs, the school must seek approval in writing to the relevant Ofsted regional director and giving supporting reasons if it later wishes to appoint ECTs. The restriction on appointing ECTs does not extend to trainee teachers who joined employment-based training programmes at the school before the notice ( paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 to the Qualifications Regulations 2003).

After the inspection

Arrangements for publishing the report

168. The lead inspector is responsible for writing the inspection report and submitting the evidence to Ofsted shortly after the inspection ends. The text of the report should explain the judgements and reflect the evidence. The findings in the report should be consistent with the feedback given to the school at the end of the inspection.

169. Inspection reports are sent to the school following moderation and quality assurance. We aim to send reports to schools as quickly as reasonably possible. In most circumstances, we will send the draft report to the school within 18 working days of the end of the inspection.

170. The school will have 5 working days to comment on the draft report, inspection process and findings. We will consider all comments. We will respond to them when we share the final report with the school. This will normally be within 30 working days of the end of the inspection. As set out above, we expect leaders to share the inspection outcome and findings with governors/trustees and whoever they deem appropriate (see paragraph 161 ). We may also send the draft report to the DfE and other bodies. This will only take place following moderation or quality assurance.

171. If the school wishes to make a formal complaint, it has 5 working days after we have shared the final report with the school in which to do so. If a complaint is not submitted, we will normally publish the report on our reports website 3 working days later. If a complaint has been submitted, the publication of the report may be delayed.

172. For graded inspections, once a school has received its final report, it is required to take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that every parent of a registered pupil at the school receives a copy of the report within 5 working days ( section 14(4)(c) of the Education Act 2005). Schools may wish to consider whether emails to parents and/or publication on the school's website can fulfil this requirement. If the school has not submitted a complaint, we will normally publish the report on our reports website 3 working days later. If it has submitted a complaint, the publication of the report may be delayed.

173. In all cases, the inspection process should not be treated as complete until all inspection activity has been carried out and we have sent the final version of the inspection report to the school.

174. The evidence base for the inspection must be retained in line with our retention and disposal policy. This is normally for 6 years from when the report is published. We may decide that retaining it for longer is warranted for research purposes.

Quality assurance

175. All inspectors are responsible for the quality of their work. The lead inspector must ensure that inspections are carried out in accordance with the principles of inspection and the code of conduct.

176. We monitor the quality of inspections through a range of formal processes, and HMI/Senior HMI visit some schools or monitor remotely to quality assure inspections. We may also evaluate the quality of an inspection evidence base. The lead inspector will be responsible for giving team inspectors feedback about the quality of their work and their conduct.

177. All schools are invited to take part in a voluntary post-inspection survey in order to contribute to inspection development. The link to this survey is provided when the school receives the final copy of its inspection report.

Handling concerns and complaints

178. The great majority of our work is carried out smoothly and without incident. If concerns do arise during the inspection, they should be raised with the lead inspector as soon as possible, in order to resolve issues before the inspection is completed. Any concerns raised, and actions taken, will be recorded in the inspection evidence. If there are any concerns that it is not possible to resolve with the lead inspector during the inspection, the headteacher, another senior leader, the local authority or a trust representative can contact a senior Ofsted leader using the number provided as part of the notification process (usually during the preparatory telephone call(s) with the headteacher).

179. If an issue remains unresolved, the school or responsible body can contact Ofsted on the working day after the end of the inspection. This will be an opportunity for the school to raise informal concerns about the inspection process or outcomes, ask about next steps or highlight information that they feel was not fully considered during the inspection. This will be directed to an inspector who is independent of the inspection, to discuss and to resolve, where appropriate, at the earliest opportunity.

180. If it is not possible to resolve concerns during the inspection, through a telephone call the day after the inspection, or through submitting comments in response to the draft report, the school may wish to lodge a formal complaint when it receives the final report. The lead inspector will ensure that the school is informed that it is able to make a formal complaint and that information about how to complain is available on gov.uk.

181. A school judged to be outstanding or good can use specific Ofsted logos to promote its judgement, for example on its website. Schools may only use a logo when it reflects the judgement of the most recent graded inspection of that school. They must remove the logo when the school's URN changes, or if their grade changes. More information can be found on our logo terms of use page.

Inspection outcomes

Outcomes of a graded inspection: judgements

Schools that are judged outstanding or good

182. A school judged to be outstanding or good on a graded inspection will normally receive an ungraded inspection around 4 years later.

Schools that are judged as requires improvement

183. A school that is judged as requires improvement following a graded inspection is a school that is not good but overall provides an acceptable standard of education. The 'schools causing concern' section explains 'acceptable standard of education'. The judgement of requires improvement is not a formal category of concern, but the school may be subject to monitoring by Ofsted so inspectors will direct the school to Ofsted's monitoring handbook.

184. The school will usually receive a graded inspection within 2.5 years of the publication of the previous report. For the first inspection after the pandemic, this period will be extended by 2 years.

185. If, at the next graded inspection, the school has not demonstrated that it has improved to good, the lead inspector will need to consider whether it continues to require improvement or may be inadequate. If the school has demonstrated improvement in some areas and there is a general upward trend, but key aspects of performance remain less than good, the school may be judged as requires improvement again. In that case another graded inspection will take place within 2.5 years of the publication of the previous report (for the first inspection after the pandemic, this period will be extended by up to 2 years). These considerations will be made at each graded reinspection of a school that was previously judged as requires improvement.

Schools that are judged as inadequate (schools causing concern: special measures and serious weaknesses)

186. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be inadequate following a graded inspection will be deemed to be in a formal category of concern.

187. If inspectors conclude that the school's overall effectiveness is inadequate, but both quality of education and personal development are judged requires improvement or better, inspectors will conclude that the school is giving an acceptable standard of education and will judge the school to have serious weaknesses.

188. If the school's grade either for quality of education or for personal development is 'inadequate', inspectors will conclude that the school is failing to give an acceptable standard of education. Inspectors must then consider whether school leaders, trust leaders (in academies), and governors/trustees are demonstrating the capacity to improve the school.

189. If inspectors conclude that the school is inadequate, and is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education but school leaders, trust leaders (in academies), and governors/trustees are demonstrating the capacity to improve, they will judge the school to have serious weaknesses.

190. If inspectors conclude that the school is inadequate, and is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and school leaders, trust leaders (in academies) and governors/trustees are not demonstrating the capacity to improve the school, then the school will be judged to require special measures.

Capacity to improve

191. In deciding whether schools have the capacity to improve, inspectors should not simply consider a school's potential but the extent to which leaders:

Implications for a school causing concern

192. Inadequate schools will be monitored in accordance with the policies set out in the monitoring handbook.

193. Maintained schools and PRUs that are judged to be causing concern will be subject to an academy order as set out in the DfE's statutory guidance. The Secretary of State has a duty to make an academy order for all maintained schools judged to have serious weaknesses ('requiring significant improvement') and those that require special measures. This includes maintained special schools, but excludes maintained nursery schools and non-maintained special schools. For academies that are causing concern, the Secretary of State has a power to terminate the funding agreement, and the academy may join another trust.

194. Whether becoming a new academy or being brokered or rebrokered, these schools will become new sponsored academies. We will then inspect them as new schools within 3 years of operation and normally in the third academic year (or 5th year if they opened before September 2020). However, in exceptional circumstances, schools that are becoming new academies or being rebrokered may receive an ungraded inspection before their next graded inspection.

195. Academies judged to have serious weaknesses will normally be reinspected within 2.5 years of the publication of the inspection report in which they were judged to have serious weaknesses. (For the first inspection after the pandemic, this period will be extended by up to 2 years.)

196. The timing of the next graded inspection for academies subject to special measures will be determined by the academy's rate of improvement. However, it will normally take place within 2.5 years of the publication of the inspection report that judged it to require special measures (for the first inspection after the pandemic, this period will be extended by up to 2 years).

197. Maintained nursery schools and non-maintained special schools judged inadequate are not subject to academy orders.

198. The law states that ECTs (not including trainee teachers on employment-based training programmes) may not be appointed to maintained schools or PRUs judged to require special measures, unless we have given permission in writing. Schools judged to require special measures must apply to us in writing if they wish to appoint ECTs, stating the reasons for the request.

Taking a school out of a category of concern

199. When an inspection team judges that a school no longer requires special measures, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school:

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

200. When an inspection team judges that a school previously judged to have serious weaknesses no longer has serious weaknesses, inspectors must use the following words during the final feedback to the school:

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

Outcomes of an ungraded inspection

201. There are 4 possible outcomes for an ungraded inspection of a good school, 3 of which can apply to an ungraded inspection of an outstanding school.

202. Inspectors will always report on whether safeguarding is effective. If there is evidence that safeguarding may be ineffective, the lead inspector will always deem the ungraded inspection to be a graded inspection.

Schools that remain good/outstanding (outcome 1)

203. Where the lead inspector judges that a school remains good/outstanding, they will confirm this judgement in the final feedback to the school at the end of the ungraded inspection.

204. A school judged to have remained good or outstanding following an ungraded inspection will normally receive an ungraded inspection around 4 years later. (For the first inspection after the pandemic, this period will be extended by up to 2 years.)

Schools that remain good, with marked improvement (outcome 2)

205. Where the lead inspector considers that, based on the evidence they have seen, a school remains good and inspectors have reason to believe that the quality of education might have been outstanding if the school had received a graded inspection instead of an ungraded inspection, the lead inspector will indicate that this is likely to be their conclusion (subject to quality assurance of the inspection).

206. The school will then receive a report that makes clear that its next inspection will be a graded inspection. The report will confirm that the school remains good and will highlight the reasons why inspectors believe that the quality of education is outstanding.

207. The graded inspection will usually take place within 1 to 2 years after the publication of the ungraded inspection report, giving the school time for the strong practice and marked improvements to be consolidated. The decision on the timing of the full graded inspection will be for the relevant Ofsted regional director to determine. Schools may request an early inspection and these requests will be considered by the relevant Ofsted region.

208. The relevant regional director may choose to carry out an ungraded inspection instead, which can be up to 4 years after publication of the original ungraded inspection report, if they believe that a graded inspection is likely to serve no useful purpose (as in, it is likely to yield a further judgement of good). This decision would normally follow a request from a school where the school does not believe it would be likely to receive an outstanding judgement at a graded inspection. We will not draw any conclusions solely from a school making a request. The decision is always at the discretion of the regional director, and they must first assure themselves there is no evidence that the school has declined below good.

Schools that may no longer be good/outstanding (outcome 3)

209. Where the lead inspector is not satisfied that the school would receive its current grade if a graded inspection was carried out at the time of the ungraded inspection, the lead inspector will indicate that this is likely to be their conclusion (subject to quality assurance of the inspection).

210. The school will then receive a letter setting out what the school is doing well and what it needs to improve. The school's current overall effectiveness judgement will not change as a result of the ungraded inspection.

211. The school will subsequently receive a graded inspection, which will typically take place within 1 to 2 years of the publication of the ungraded inspection report.

212. It may be sooner, however, in order to comply with The Education (School Inspection) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015, which require a graded inspection in these schools within 5 school years from the end of the school year in which the previous inspection took place (this will be 6 years for the school's first inspection following the COVID-19 pandemic). This means that, for a small number of schools, the follow-on graded inspection may be carried out sooner than the usual 1 to 2 years after the inspection has taken place.

213. For outcomes 2 and 3, if a maintained school converts to become an academy before the graded inspection has been carried out, the school's first inspection as a new academy will be a graded inspection at least 1 year after the school becomes an academy.

Ungraded inspection is deemed to be a graded inspection (outcome 4)

214. The ungraded inspection will be deemed to be a graded inspection, usually within 48 hours, if there are serious concerns about the quality of education, behaviour, potential gaming (including off-rolling) or safeguarding. This will occur if inspectors:

215. The ungraded inspection will also be deemed to be a graded inspection (under the Education Act 2005) when the lead inspector has gathered evidence that suggests that the school would be inadequate in one or more of the graded judgements if it had received a graded inspection instead of an ungraded inspection.

216. A decision to deem the inspection to be a graded inspection does not predetermine the outcome of the graded inspection. At the end of the graded inspection, the school may receive any grade along the 4-point grading scale.

217. If inspectors gather evidence that suggests an outstanding school's performance may have declined so that if a graded inspection was to be carried out at the time of the ungraded inspection, the school would likely be judged as requires improvement or inadequate, inspectors will deem the ungraded inspection to be a graded inspection, usually within 48 hours.

218. Where the ungraded inspection is HMI-led and is deemed to be a graded inspection, the HMI will normally remain the lead inspector for the graded inspection. However, where the ungraded inspection has been led by a contracted Ofsted Inspector ( OI), the OI may either remain as the lead inspector for the graded inspection or an HMI may lead the graded inspection. More inspectors may join the lead inspector. The ungraded inspection will become a graded inspection, and the team will gather and evaluate evidence in order to make a full set of graded judgements.

219. An ungraded inspection report will not be produced when the ungraded inspection is deemed to be a graded inspection. Instead, the school will receive a graded inspection report.

Part 2. Explanation of Ofsted's judgements

220. This section of the handbook sets out how we evaluate schools on the 2 most common types of inspection: graded inspections and ungraded inspections.

221. Inspectors evaluate schools against the following key judgements:

222. The 'evaluating the quality of education' section applies to both graded and ungraded inspections. The other judgement sections are split into specific graded inspections and ungraded inspections sections.

223. The majority of inspections that we carry out are ungraded inspections. The purpose of these inspections is to confirm whether a school remains good or outstanding under the definition of overall effectiveness set out in the grade descriptors. These differ from graded inspections, where inspectors make an overall effectiveness judgement, as well as the other 4 key judgements set out in part 3.

Evaluating the quality of education

The curriculum

224. A school's curriculum sets out the aims of a programme of education. It also sets out the structure for those aims to be implemented, including the knowledge and skills to be gained at each stage. It enables the school to evaluate pupils' knowledge and skills against those expectations.

225. All pupils in maintained mainstream and special schools are expected to study the basic curriculum, which includes the national curriculum, religious education and age-appropriate relationships and sex education. PRUs and alternative provision settings are not necessarily expected to deliver the national curriculum (see statutory guidance). The national curriculum sets out requirements for:

226. Since September 2020, schools have also been required to teach:

227. Academies are expected to offer all pupils a broad curriculum that should be similar in breadth and ambition to the national curriculum, and must include English, mathematics, science and religious education.

228. All schools that include early years provision must comply with the DfE's statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

229. In key stage 1, pupils should be able to read, write and use mathematical knowledge, ideas and operations so that they are able to access a broad and balanced curriculum at key stage 2. Some schools are exempt from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS. Where this is the case, the expectation is that pupils are able to read and write fluently by Years 5 and 6.

230. In key stages 2 and 3, schools need to provide a broad, rich curriculum. Our research into the curriculum shows that these stages are particularly susceptible to a narrow curriculum, and that this has a disproportionately negative effect on disadvantaged pupils (including those with SEND). If a school has shortened key stage 3, inspectors will look for evidence that the school has made provision to ensure that pupils still have the opportunity to study a broad range of subjects, commensurate with the national curriculum, in Years 7 to 9.

231. In the key stage 4 curriculum, the government's national ambition is that 90% of Year 10 pupils in state-funded mainstream schools should be starting to study EBacc GCSE courses nationally by 2025 (taking their examinations in 2027). This is an ambition, and not a target for any individual school. Inspectors will not make a judgement about the quality of education based solely or primarily on the school's progress towards the EBacc ambition. Nevertheless, it is an important factor in understanding a school's level of ambition for its pupils. It is, therefore, important that inspectors understand what schools are doing to prepare for this, and they should take those preparations into consideration when evaluating the intent of the school's curriculum.

232. All schools are also required to promote the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society; and prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

233. If remote education is in place, schools should ensure that it is well integrated within their course(s) of study, and is well designed to support the wider implementation of the school's curriculum.

234. The DfE has set out a minimum expectation of at least 32.5 hours for the length of the school week in (non-statutory) guidance in mainstream state-funded schools by 1 September 2024 at the latest. Where it is clear that increasing the overall time pupils spend in school (to at least 32.5 hours per week) would improve the quality of education, inspectors will reflect this in their evaluation of the school, and in the inspection report. If a school is not meeting the minimum expectation, and this impacts on the quality of education, inspectors will expect schools to set out a clear rationale for this and understand what impact it has on the quality of education. They will also want to understand what plans are in place to meet the minimum expectation.

Ofsted's approach to evaluating the curriculum

235. Inspectors will consider the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain at each stage through the school's curriculum (we call this 'intent'). They will look at the scope of the curriculum, including how carefully the leaders (including trust leaders) responsible for the curriculum in the school have thought about what end points the curriculum is building towards (with reference to the national curriculum and, where relevant, the EYFS). They will also look at how the leaders (including trust leaders) responsible for the curriculum have broken down the content into components and sequenced that content in a logical progression, systematically and explicitly, for all pupils to acquire the intended knowledge and skills. Inspectors will also consider the rigour of subject-specific planning.

236. Inspectors will consider how the curriculum developed or adopted by the school is taught and assessed in order to support pupils to build their knowledge and to apply that knowledge as skills (we call this 'implementation'). This includes how well the subject curriculum is presented to ensure that pupils understand key concepts, and that they can transfer key knowledge to long-term memory and apply it fluently. This includes the use of assessment to check pupils' understanding of what the curriculum intent says they should know, and to identify and correct misunderstandings and inform teaching. It also includes whether teachers either have expert knowledge of the subjects that they teach, or are supported to address gaps in their knowledge so that pupils are not disadvantaged by ineffective teaching.

237. Finally, inspectors will consider the outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received (we call this the 'impact'). This will include their view of how pupils are progressing through the curriculum, and their view on schemes of work or other long-term planning (in whatever form they are normally used).

238. Inspectors will focus on what our inspection experience and research show are the most important factors to consider. These are the extent to which:

239. In evaluating the quality of education, inspectors will form a top-level view of the curriculum through conversations with the leaders (including trust leaders) responsible for curriculum in the school. They will use the official IDSR as a starting point, but will want to see the quality of education as experienced by pupils first hand and understand how well leaders know what it is like to be a pupil at the school. Inspectors' understanding of the school's curriculum is primarily formed through deep dives. We will look at the curriculum in all the key stages that the school has, through our deep dives. Inspectors will use 2022 outcomes cautiously and 2021/22 data will only be used to inform discussion with the schools about pupil outcomes. No schools will be marked down on the basis of the 2021/22 data alone.

240. The number of deep dives will vary depending on the size of the school and the inspection team:

in primary schools (and infant, junior and lower-middle schools), inspectors will always carry out a deep dive in reading and deep dives in one or more foundation subjects. In addition, inspectors will often carry out a deep dive in mathematics

in secondary schools, the deep dives will typically focus on a sample of 4 to 6 subjects, looking at a wide variety of pupils in different year groups across that sample

in small schools (with fewer than 150 pupils), for ungraded inspections, the methodology will be adapted to reflect the shorter inspection (only 1 day)

for maintained nursery schools and specialist settings, see the 'provision-specific considerations' section

241. Deep dives gather evidence of the curriculum within a certain subject, to build an understanding of the curriculum in the school as a whole. They encompass a range of activities, including:

242. Inspectors may not always carry out all of these activities on a deep dive. More detail on these activities can be found in the sections below.

243. Inspectors will not grade intent, implementation and impact separately and will not grade individual lessons or teachers. Instead, inspectors will reach a single graded judgement for the quality of education, drawing on all the evidence they have gathered and using their professional judgement.

244. Inspectors recognise that there may still be some limited circumstances in which a pupil may need to learn remotely. Where this is the case, this learning will not be evaluated separately but as part of the wider curriculum. Similarly, where the school is directly deploying tutors to support education recovery from the pandemic, inspectors will consider how this supports the aims of the school curriculum, rather than evaluate the quality of the tutoring. Use of tutors will be integrated into the evaluation of both the quality of education and leadership and management and will not be inspected separately.

245. Inspectors will not look at non-statutory internal progress and attainment data on inspections of schools. That does not mean that schools cannot use data if they consider it appropriate. Inspectors will, however, put more focus on the curriculum and less on schools' generation, analysis and interpretation of data. Teachers have told us that they believe this will help us play our part in reducing unnecessary workload. Inspectors will be interested in the conclusions drawn and actions taken from any internal assessment information, but they will not examine or verify that information first hand. Inspectors will use published national performance data as a starting point on inspection, where it is available.

246. Inspectors will be alert to unnecessary or excessive attempts to simply prompt pupils to learn glossaries or long lists of disconnected facts. Learning can be defined as an alteration in long-term memory. If nothing has altered in long-term memory, nothing has been learned. However, pupils learn by connecting new knowledge with existing knowledge. Pupils also need to develop fluency and unconsciously apply their knowledge as skills. This must not be reduced to, or confused with, simply memorising disconnected facts. When inspectors evaluate the impact of the education provided by the school, their focus will primarily be on what pupils have learned.

247. We will judge schools taking radically different approaches to the curriculum fairly. We recognise the importance of schools' and trusts' autonomy to choose their own curriculum approaches. If leaders are able to show that they have thought carefully, that they have built a curriculum with appropriate coverage, content, structure and sequencing, and that it has been implemented effectively, and that the curriculum does not leave some pupils behind, then inspectors will assess the school's curriculum favourably.

248. Inspectors will recognise that some schools are going through a period of change, including when they have been brokered into a trust or rebrokered from one trust to another. In some schools, the quality of education may have been poor and may now be showing significant and sustained improvement. In these situations, nationally generated performance data may lag behind the current quality of education in the school and so inspectors will view the national data in this context.

249. Inspectors will also bear in mind that developing and embedding an effective curriculum takes time, and that the school may only be part-way through the process of adopting or redeveloping a curriculum. If leaders have an accurate, evaluative understanding of current curriculum practice in their school and have identified appropriate next steps (taking into account any impact of COVID-19) to improve curriculum quality and develop curriculum expertise across the school, inspectors will evaluate 'intent' favourably when reaching the holistic quality of education judgement. They will recognise that the criteria for a judgement of good are the best fit. Where inspectors consider available national data, they will be mindful of the age of this data, especially around statutory assessment and qualifications, when making judgements. Teacher-assessed grades from 2020 and 2021 will not be used to assess curriculum impact.

250. As part of making the judgement about the quality of education, inspectors will consider the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Our understanding of 'knowledge and cultural capital' is derived from the following wording in the national curriculum:

It is the essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens, introducing them to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement.

251. National assessments and examinations are useful indicators of pupils' outcomes, but they only represent a sample of what pupils have learned. Inspectors will consider any outcomes data, where this is available in published national data (this does not include teacher- or centre-assessed grades from 2020 and 2021), but it does not constitute a substitute for inspectors' first-hand inspection activities.

Talking about the curriculum with leaders

252. A professional dialogue with leaders is vital to our understanding the curriculum within that subject. Inspectors understand that subject leadership works differently in different schools - especially smaller schools - and will work within that context in each school.

253. In an academy, this will also include talking to relevant trust leaders about any role they have in the curriculum. This does not mean that Ofsted expects the trust to make curriculum decisions, necessarily. However, where trusts have made decisions that affect the implementation and impact of the curriculum within an individual academy (including a decision to allow schools to make all curricular decisions), inspectors will want to understand how and why that decision was made, and the impact on pupils.

254. Inspectors will want leaders to set out the scope of what they intend pupils to learn. This will include:

255. We define rigour as ensuring that the curriculum keeps to subject-specific questions, methods, conventions, rules and practices and how the subject discipline builds new knowledge. This should not prevent a topic-based or thematic approach, however. Inspectors will also want to understand the approach to teaching and assessing whether pupils have understood the content they have been taught.

Joint visits to lessons

256. Inspectors will not take a random sample of lessons to visit. Instead, they will connect lesson visits to other evidence, such as discussions with curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, and work scrutiny.

257. Inspectors will discuss with school leaders what lessons will be visited as part of the deep dive to see the curriculum in action. Where possible, inspectors will visit several lessons from the same curriculum area or subject, including from different year groups. They will invite the headteacher, subject leaders and/or other leaders to take part in joint visits to lessons.

258. Lesson visits are not about evaluating individual teachers or their teaching. Teaching will not be graded. Inspectors will connect evidence from lesson visits with what they learn from other deep dive activities, to form a rounded view of the quality of education.

259. Lesson visits are also useful for gathering evidence that contributes to the 'behaviour and attitudes' judgement by providing direct evidence about how behaviour is managed within individual classrooms and how pupils respond. This evidence will complement the other evidence that inspectors gather about behaviour during inspection.

Work scrutiny

260. Inspectors will look at pupils' work. Work scrutiny will help inspectors to form a view of whether pupils know more and can do more, and whether the knowledge and skills they have learned are well sequenced and have developed incrementally.

Talking to and observing pupils in addition to joint visits to lessons

261. Inspectors will ask to speak to groups of pupils, including about the subjects they have been looking at. They will want to understand what pupils have learned and how their teachers help them to learn new curriculum content. Inspectors will take advantage of opportunities to gather evidence from a wide range of pupils, both formally and informally. Evidence from pupils will always be considered alongside the other evidence that inspectors collect.

262. Inspectors will also talk to and observe pupils in a range of situations outside of normal lessons to evaluate personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and safeguarding for example:

263. During informal conversations with pupils, inspectors will ask them about their experiences of teaching, learning and behaviour in the school, including the prevention of bullying and how the school deals with any form of harassment and violence, discrimination and prejudiced behaviour, if they happen. Inspectors will ensure that all questions are appropriate.

264. During the inspection, it is important that pupils are able to express their views freely to inspectors. Therefore, inspectors must have the opportunity to speak to pupils with no other adults present, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This is particularly important when inspectors ask pupils questions about safeguarding. Inspectors will, where relevant and practical, also try to ensure that they speak to at least some single-sex pupil groups to provide the opportunity for pupils to speak more freely about issues such as sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence. See 'Inspectors talking to pupils on inspection'.

Discussions with staff

265. At the heart of our inspections is a professional dialogue between inspectors and the leaders, governors/trustees and staff of the school. Inspectors will discuss with staff:

266. Staff may always be accompanied by another appropriate person when speaking to inspectors. However, it is important that staff are able to express their views freely to inspectors.

Early stages of learning to read

267. During all inspections, inspectors will be interested in how the school supports pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read, including older pupils. This is especially the case because of the disruption to learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

268. On inspections of infant, junior, primary and lower-middle schools, inspectors will carry out a deep dive to evaluate how well pupils are taught to read. They will pay particular attention to the pupils who most need to improve their reading (the lowest 20%) to assess how well the school is teaching phonics and supporting all children to become confident, fluent readers. This will include understanding how reading is taught remotely, where applicable.

269. Inspectors will listen to several low-attaining pupils in Years 1 to 3 read from unseen books that are appropriate to their stage of progress. They should also draw on information from the school's policy for teaching reading, phonics assessments, phonics screening check results and lesson visits.

270. Wherever possible, inspectors will listen to children read to a familiar adult in a classroom or in an open area that the pupils are familiar with. They will take into consideration the length of time a pupil has attended the school.

271. In reaching an evaluation against the 'quality of education' judgement, inspectors will consider whether:

the school is determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. All pupils, including the weakest readers, make sufficient progress to meet or exceed age-related expectations

stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction are chosen for reading to develop pupils' vocabulary, language comprehension and love of reading. Pupils are familiar with and enjoy listening to a wide range of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction

the school's phonics programme matches or exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum and the EYFS early learning goals. The school has clear expectations of pupils' phonics progress term by term, particularly from Reception to Year 2

the sequence of reading books shows a cumulative progression in phonics knowledge that is matched closely to the school's phonics programme. Teachers give pupils sufficient practice in reading and re-reading books that match the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they know, both at school and at home

reading, including the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics, is taught from the beginning of Reception

the ongoing assessment of pupils' phonics progress is sufficiently frequent and detailed to identify any pupil who is falling behind the programme's pace. If they do fall behind, targeted support is given immediately

the school has developed sufficient expertise in the teaching of phonics and reading

Mathematics

272. When inspectors look at mathematics, they will evaluate the quality of a school's mathematics education through lesson visits, discussions with pupils and scrutiny of their work, discussions with subject leaders, and examining any published data. This will include understanding how mathematics is taught remotely, where applicable.

273. Inspectors will draw on information from the Year 4 multiplication tables check. The check provides information about the extent to which pupils recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. Inspectors will use the information as a starting point only and understand that it represents a small element of the mathematics curriculum overall.

274. Inspectors will consider what steps the school has taken to ensure that:

Pupils with SEND in both mainstream and specialist settings

275. All parts of the EIF apply to state-funded and non-maintained special schools provision, PRUs, alternative provision and mainstream schools' provision for pupils with SEND. However, as with all provision, SEND provision has some specific factors that should be taken into account.

276. Pupils with SEND have a range of different needs and starting points. Pupils will have unique, individual needs, even where their needs may fall under the same umbrella term, such as autism. Some pupils have severe, complex or profound needs that have a significant impact on their cognitive development, especially the way that they are able to make alterations to their long-term memory. Other pupils have starting points at least as high as other pupils of their age, for instance some pupils with sensory impairments.

277. Inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

how well the school identifies, assesses and meets the needs of pupils with SEND, including when pupils with SEND are receiving remote education

whether leaders are suitably ambitious for all pupils with SEND

how well leaders ensure that the curriculum is coherently sequenced to meet all pupils' needs, starting points and aspirations for the future

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals/specialist services in deciding how best to support pupils with SEND, including agreeing the approach to remote education

how well leaders include pupils with SEND in all aspects of school life

how well leaders ensure that pupils' outcomes are improving as a result of any different or additional provision being made for them, including any reasonable adjustments in remote education provision. This covers outcomes in:

communication and interaction

cognition and learning

physical health and development

social, emotional and mental health

how well pupils with SEND are prepared for their next steps in education, employment and training, and their adult lives, including: further/higher education and employment, independent living, participating in society and being as healthy as possible in adult life. See 'Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years'.

278. Because of the wide range of pupils' needs, inspectors will not compare the outcomes achieved by pupils with SEND with those achieved by other pupils with SEND in the school, locally or nationally.

279. Pupils with SEND often have significant and complex vulnerabilities and can face additional safeguarding challenges. This includes understanding and pre-empting increased risks that pupils may be drawn into harmful situations as a result of grooming, be more likely to experience abuse from other pupils or adults, and may experience additional barriers in reporting abuse and having abuse recognised by professionals. Inspectors will evaluate the ways in which leaders have made appropriate and effective safeguarding arrangements that reflect these additional vulnerabilities.

Specialist settings

280. All parts of the EIF apply to special schools, PRUs and other alternative provision in free schools and academies, while accepting that the curriculum may be very specialised. For this reason, in special schools, deep dive areas may not be traditional subject areas. The lead inspector will seek to understand the school's curriculum during the initial phone call with the headteacher. Once the lead inspector has understood the school's curriculum design, the areas for a deep dive will be agreed. These may include national curriculum subjects, may derive from the 4 broad areas of need (for example, communication and interaction or physical development), may be a curriculum area very specific to that school or may be a combination of these examples. Inspectors will work closely with staff to understand how the curriculum area they are looking at is designed and implemented to meet the needs of pupils in the school. Inspectors will evaluate whether pupils' outcomes are improving as a result of the curriculum.

281. The government's ambition for EBacc does not apply to special schools with secondary-age pupils. In addition, the Progress 8 accountability measure may not always be the most appropriate performance indicator for these schools.

Provision-specific considerations

Maintained nursery schools

282. All parts of the EIF apply to maintained nursery schools and to early years provision in mainstream schools. However, as with all provision, maintained nursery schools have some specific factors that should be taken into account.

283. In maintained nursery schools, inspectors will always carry out at least 3 deep dives; one will be in communication and language and one other prime area of learning. At least one other deep dive will be in a specific area of learning.

284. Inspectors will spend most of the inspection time gathering first-hand evidence by observing the quality of the daily routines and activities of children and staff. Inspectors will also discuss children's development with staff. Much of this will be through incidental conversations prompted by observing the children at play and the interactions between them and adults.

285. The choice of teaching methods is a decision for providers. The inspector will judge the quality of the provision in relation to the impact it has on children's learning, development and well-being.

286. We recognise that the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic may have impacted on what children have learned. This could result in some children having a wider than usual range of starting points and gaps in their knowledge. Inspectors will pay close attention to how maintained nursery schools identify and address any of these delays and gaps and what it is doing to address disruption to learning to ensure that children are well prepared for their next stage of education. Inspectors will use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a child in the maintained nursery school, taking account of the ages of the children and whether they attend part time or full time.

287. Inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

how well the school identifies children's early starting points, particularly those children with SEND

the extent to which staff use the 7 areas of learning to introduce children to new ideas, vocabulary and syntax, and to develop children's love of stories, poems, songs and rhymes

how well the school includes disadvantaged children (including those with SEND) in all aspects of school life

how well leaders ensure that the EYFS curriculum is coherently sequenced to meet all children's needs and starting points

whether leaders are suitably ambitious for all children and consider their cultural capital when preparing them for the next stage in their education

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals/specialist services in deciding how best to support children

how well children's learning and development are shared with parents as required by the EYFS, and the extent to which parents are supported to help their child to learn

Junior, middle, studio schools and university technical colleges

288. There are some schools that start and stop at non-standard ages for pupils, so inspectors take into account national expectations differently.

289. Pupils at junior schools, on average, have higher attainment scores at the end of key stage 2 than pupils at all other primary schools. However, on average, they also have lower progress scores. This may be for a variety of reasons, and inspectors will take this into account when comparing their results with those of pupils in schools that start education from the beginning of key stage 1.

290. Pupils at middle schools, on average, have lower progress scores at the end of key stage 2 than pupils at primary schools. Due to the age range of pupils at middle schools, pupils will have only attended a middle school for a short time before they take their key stage 2 tests and will still have a number of years left at the school. Inspectors will take this into account when comparing pupils' results to those of schools that start educating their pupils from the beginning of key stage 1.

291. The government's ambition for EBacc does not apply to UTCs and studio schools because they provide a specialist technical and professional education.

292. The Progress 8 accountability measure is not the most appropriate performance indicator for UTCs and studio schools. These establishments typically start educating pupils at age 14 and have a focus on preparing pupils for their future careers. Inspectors will pay attention to other measures, particularly pupils' destinations when they leave the UTC or studio school.

Evaluating the use of off-site alternative provision

293. Where pupils, including those in PRUs and other alternative providers, attend off-site alternative provision, inspectors will evaluate the extent to which these placements are safe and effective in promoting pupils' progress. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of the alternative providers used and, if required, may speak to local authorities, other agencies and parents/carers to gather evidence. Inspectors will want to understand how providers ensure that pupils who attend multiple settings or part time are kept safe when they are not on site for the whole school day.

Evaluating quality of education in pupil referral units and academy alternative provision

294. PRUs and academy alternative providers differ from other schools in that they are intended to be short-term interventions to secure the successful re-engagement into education. In these settings, inspectors will gather and evaluate evidence about:

how well the school identifies, assesses and meets the needs of pupils when they first begin to attend the PRU or other alternative provider, including pupils with SEND

how well leaders ensure that the curriculum is coherently sequenced and meets all pupils' needs, starting points and aspirations for the future, including through remote education

how successfully leaders involve parents, carers and, as necessary, other professionals or specialist services in deciding how best to support pupils

whether leaders are ambitious for all pupils, and the extent to which governors/trustees understand the particular context of the provision

how well leaders include pupils in all aspects of school life, giving particular emphasis to how well they are prepared for their next steps in education, employment and training, and adult lives

how well leaders ensure that pupils' outcomes are improving as a result of any different or additional provision being made for them, including outcomes for pupils with SEND

295. Pupils in PRUs and other alternative providers often have significant, complex vulnerabilities. In the same way as with other schools, inspectors will evaluate the ways in which leaders have made appropriate and effective safeguarding arrangements for pupils in the light of their higher vulnerability to safeguarding risks. Inspectors will expect providers to understand their unique contextual safeguarding factors and outline how they proactively work, including with other agencies, to mitigate the specific factors that affect their pupils and the community that they serve.

296. PRUs and other alternative providers may have different objectives in their work related to the reasons why a pupil is placed in alternative provision, the needs of the pupil, the duration of placements and the proportion of time that pupils stay with the provider each week. For instance, in a PRU that provides short-term placements for excluded pupils or those at risk of exclusion, the core work may emphasise specific improvements in pupils' attitudes, behaviour and/or attendance alongside their academic/vocational/technical achievement or be aiming to reintegrate pupils into mainstream schools. Alternative providers may also offer services to schools and other educational settings to help them support children with additional needs in their settings. An alternative provision setting may be the permanent destination for some pupils. Inspectors will evaluate schools' success in these areas, while bearing in mind that we expect high academic/vocational/technical aspirations for all pupils.

297. Transitions into PRU and alternative providers are often complex, involving dual registration, periods of non-attendance and meetings with a range of services and families. When evaluating pupils' attainment and progress, inspectors will consider the ways in which the school has identified, assessed and met the needs of pupils. They will evaluate the progress that pupils have made since they began to attend the alternative provision.

298. For pupils who have left the PRU or other alternative provider, inspectors will consider how well the progress they made there enabled them to move on to suitable destinations and, post-16, to take courses at an appropriately demanding level. They will also look closely at how effective liaison is with other schools to ensure that there are appropriately high expectations and, as far as reasonably possible, continuity in pupils' education programmes. Inspectors will also look at whether the provider works closely with families, schools and other agencies to ensure a smooth transition to and from alternative provision. They will look at whether it sets expectations that reintegration back into mainstream education is a key component of a placement.

Evaluating behaviour and attitudes

299. The behaviour and attitudes judgement considers how leaders and other staff create a safe, calm, orderly and positive environment in the school and the impact this has on the behaviour and attitudes of pupils.

300. The judgement focuses on the factors that research and inspection evidence indicate contribute most strongly to pupils' positive behaviour and attitudes, thereby giving them the greatest possible opportunity to achieve positive outcomes. These factors are:

301. Inspectors' evidence for the importance of each of these factors comes from their inspection experience, areas of agreement in academic research and our own research. A full note of how the criteria relate to the available research can be found in our EIF research commentary.

302. Additionally, inspectors will expect schools to have effective behaviour policies in place regarding harmful sexual behaviour. The policies should include details of appropriate sanctions that should be applied consistently and that reflect and are consistent with the messages that are taught across the curriculum.

Specific considerations for evaluating behaviour and attitudes

Attendance

303. Inspectors will expect schools to do all they reasonably can to achieve the highest possible attendance, while recognising that the context in which schools operate has changed. (Attendance between March 2020 and March 2021 will not impact on the judgement of the school.)

304. Inspectors will expect schools to have done an analysis of absence and persistent absence rates for all pupils, and for different groups, compared with the published local and national averages for all pupils. This includes the extent to which pupils with persistent and severe absence are improving their attendance over time or whether attendance is consistently low. Inspectors will want to see this analysis and how this has fed in to the school's approach.

305. Where attendance is not consistently at or above what could reasonably be expected, inspectors will expect attendance to be a high priority for leaders and for it to be improving towards and beyond national, pre-pandemic levels. There should be a strong understanding of the causes of absence (particularly for persistent and severe absence) and a clear strategy in place that takes account of those causes to improve attendance for all pupils. In some cases of persistent and all cases of severe absence, schools should make efforts to engage in multi-agency work with the local authority and other partners.

306. Where leaders are aware of the issues affecting attendance and have a clear, strategic plan of action in place but attendance for all pupils is not yet consistently very high, inspectors should judge this favourably, as long as there is a track record of improvement that demonstrates leaders' capacity to continue to improve attendance (using the same factors used in considering what category of concern schools should be placed into).

Pupils who have specific needs, including pupils with SEND

307. The school may be working with pupils with particular needs in order to improve their behaviour or their attendance. When this is the case, behaviour and conduct that reflects the school's high expectations and their consistent, fair implementation are likely to include demonstrable improvement in the attendance and behaviour of these pupils, taking account of individual circumstances.

Pupils who are not in the school during the inspection

308. Inspectors will gather evidence about the typical behaviour of all the pupils who attend the school, including those who are not present on the day of inspection. If there is evidence that a school has deliberately removed pupils from the school site on the day of inspection or has arranged for them to be absent, and inspectors reasonably believe that this was done in order to have an impact on the inspection, then inspectors are likely to judge both behaviour and attitudes and leadership and management to be inadequate.

Behaviour

309. Inspectors will also recognise that the context in which schools operate with respect to behaviour has changed as a result of the pandemic.

310. Where inspectors see evidence of poor behaviour but leaders are aware of the issues and have a clear, strategic plan of action, inspectors will judge this favourably, as long as there is a track record of improvement that demonstrates leaders' capacity to continue to improve behaviour (using the same factors used in considering what category of concern schools should be placed into).

Suspensions and exclusions

311. If a school uses suspensions, inspectors will evaluate their effectiveness, including the rates, patterns and reasons for suspensions and whether any pupils are repeatedly suspended. Schools should have a strategy for reintegrating a pupil who returns to school following a suspension and for managing their future behaviour. Inspectors will consider how well the school is recognising and acting to address any patterns that exist. This is because disruptive behaviour or sudden changes in behaviour can be an indication of unmet needs or a change in another aspect of a young person's life.

312. Headteachers have the right to exclude pupils when there are legitimate reasons for them to do so. Used correctly, exclusion is a vital measure for headteachers to use. Exclusions must be legal and justified. Permanent exclusions should only be used as a last resort, in response to a serious breach or persistent breaches of the school's behaviour policy, and when allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

313. Inspectors will consider whether the school is developing the use of alternative strategies to exclusion and taking account of any safeguarding risks to pupils who may be excluded. Inspectors will recognise when schools are doing all that they can to support pupils at risk of exclusion, including through tenacious attempts to engage local support services.

314. See also the 'inclusion' section below.

Evaluating behaviour and attitudes in pupil referral units and academy alternative provision

315. Inspectors will take the school's official records as a starting point for discussions about attendance. They must evaluate pupils' attendance as a percentage of a full-time timetable, even when temporary part-time arrangements are in place. Leaders may have a range of ways of evaluating pupils' attendance, given that pupils often join and leave the school roll at various times of the year. Inspectors will take into account the turnover of pupils in the provision when considering evidence for attitudes and behaviour. Inspectors will evaluate the impact of strategies that leaders use to improve pupils' attendance.

316. Often, pupils attending PRUs, UTCs and alternative providers have had poor attendance in the past. Inspectors will evaluate the improvement in pupils' attendance from their starting points when this is relevant. Inspectors will also evaluate the ways in which leaders take account of pupils' weak attendance in their safeguarding systems and the clarity of their attendance recording. If schools use part-time timetables, and pupils are not attending other provision or placements in addition to their school, inspectors will evaluate the extent to which schools monitor these situations and are aspirational and effective in getting pupils into education full time , quickly and in line with DfE guidance. Part-time timetables should not be open-ended and should result in swift full-time education for the pupils. (See the 'inclusion' section for more details).

Ofsted's approach to evaluating behaviour and attitudes on graded inspections

317. Inspectors will hold discussions with pupils and staff to gather evidence about school culture and practice in relation to pupils' behaviour, support for staff and other systems. In setting up discussions, inspectors will select a sample of staff. These discussions will include trainees, supply staff, ECTs, administrative support staff and catering staff, as well as other members of staff. The discussions will provide inspectors with valuable information that includes the views of those who most urgently require the school's support in managing pupils' behaviour. Where practically possible, inspectors will carry out discussions with individuals, not groups, to allow members of staff to give clear evidence without being influenced by the views or expectations of others in the group when talking about a sensitive issue. However, staff may always be accompanied by another appropriate person when talking to inspectors.

318. Inspectors will speak to pupils from a range of different backgrounds and who have different experiences of the school's approach to behaviour. This should include pupils who have experienced sanctions under the school's behaviour policy. Inspectors will take into account the views of these pupils, their experiences of others' behaviour and attitudes towards them, and their understanding of the importance of positive behaviour in school and beyond school.

319. Inspectors will evaluate the experience of particular individuals and groups, such as pupils for whom referrals have been made to the local authority (and check, for a small sample of these pupils, how the referral was made and the thoroughness of the follow-up), pupils with SEND, looked-after children, those with medical needs and those with mental health needs. In order to do this, inspectors will look at the experience of a small sample of these pupils and consider the way the school is working with the multi-agency group to ensure that the child receives the support they need. For pupils with SEND, this will include ensuring that appropriate reasonable adjustments are made in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND code of practice.

320. The pupil and staff surveys used in inspection contain questions about safeguarding, behaviour and discipline, bullying, how respondents feel about the school and how well supported and respected they feel they are in the school. Inspectors will meet school leaders to discuss the results of the interviews and surveys of pupils and staff.

321. Over the course of inspection, inspectors will carry out evidence-gathering activities. In some cases, inspectors will be able to gather this evidence as part of other activities they are carrying out. The activities are:

Ofsted's approach to evaluating behaviour and attitudes on ungraded inspections

322. In evaluating behaviour and attitudes for ungraded inspections, inspectors may consider any of the factors set out in the grade descriptors for graded inspections. However, they will usually focus on:

323. Inspectors will gather this evidence principally through the deep dives carried out. They may carry out additional inspection activity (such as that set in the paragraph above) where they consider it necessary.

Evaluating personal development

324. The curriculum provided by schools should extend beyond the academic, technical or vocational. Schools support pupils to develop in many diverse aspects of life. The personal development judgement is used by inspectors to evaluate leaders' (including trust leaders') intent to provide for the personal development of all pupils, and the quality with which the school implements this work. Inspectors will recognise that the impact of the school's provision for personal development will often not be assessable during pupils' time at school.

325. At the same time as the school is working with pupils, those pupils are also being influenced by other factors in their home environment, their community and elsewhere. Schools can teach pupils how to build their confidence and resilience, for example, but they cannot always determine how well young people draw on this. Schools are crucial in preparing pupils for their adult lives, teaching them to understand how to engage with society and providing them with plentiful opportunities to do so. In this judgement, therefore, inspectors will seek to evaluate the quality and intent of what a school provides (either directly or by drawing on high-quality agencies and providers, for example the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, Cadet Forces and the National Citizenship Service), but will not attempt to measure the impact of the school's work on the lives of individual pupils.

326. This judgement focuses on the factors that research and inspection evidence indicate contribute most strongly to pupils' personal development. These include how the school:

327. We will expect the school's relationships, sex and health education ( RSHE) curriculum (and wider curriculum) to specifically address sexual harassment, online abuse and sexual violence. The curriculum should also address safeguarding risks (including online risks), issues of consent, and what constitutes a healthy relationship both online and offline. We will also expect schools to provide effective pastoral support. This includes being alert to factors that increase a child's vulnerability, or potential vulnerability, such as mental ill health, domestic abuse, having additional needs, and being at greater risk of exploitation and/or of feeling unable to report abuse (for example, girls and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children).

Specific considerations for evaluating personal development

328. Where usual opportunities have been disrupted by the pandemic, inspectors will look at whether the school has found alternative approaches to providing a rich range of personal development opportunities since the school reopened to all pupils in March 2021.

Relationships, sex and health education on graded inspections

329. Relationships education is compulsory for all schools providing primary education. Relationships and sex education is compulsory for all schools providing secondary education (including, where a school has one, in sixth form provision). Health education is also compulsory for pupils in state-funded schools.

330. If a school is failing to meet its obligations, inspectors will consider this when reaching the personal development and leadership and management judgements.

331. See the guidance 'Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics' for more information.

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

332. Inspectors will evaluate the effectiveness of the school's provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education. This is a broad concept that can be seen across the school's activities, but draws together many of the areas covered by the personal development judgement.

333. Provision for the spiritual development of pupils includes developing their:

334. Provision for the moral development of pupils includes developing their:

335. Provision for the social development of pupils includes developing their:

336. Provision for the cultural development of pupils includes developing their:

understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others

understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain

ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities

knowledge of Britain's democratic Parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain

willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities

interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities

Ofsted's approach to evaluating personal development on graded inspections

337. On graded inspections, inspectors will focus on:

whether the school has had due regard to the statutory guidance on RSHE (see 'relationships, sex and health education on graded inspections' section) and so:

has formed a policy following consultation with parents

has staff trained to assess and deliver the RSHE curriculum

appropriately supports children with SEND to learn RSHE

whether pupils have sufficient age-appropriate awareness and understanding of the protected characteristics

whether pupils have sufficient knowledge about how to stay safe, including online

pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, citizenship education, modern British values, the development of character and wider development

in secondary schools, the effectiveness of CIEAG

338. Much of the evidence that inspectors will consider in making the personal development judgement will be drawn from across the deep dives carried out, and conversations with leaders, other staff, pupils and governors. Inspectors will also draw on any other evidence they consider as part of the inspection.

Careers provision on graded inspections

339. All schools providing secondary education are expected to provide effective CIEAG, in line with the statutory 'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers', to encourage pupils to make good choices and understand what they need to do to succeed in the careers to which they aspire.

340. As part of this, it is important that schools understand and meet the requirements of section 42B of the Education Act 1997 (referred to in DfE guidance as 'provider access legislation'), which came into force in January 2018. Both maintained schools and academies are required by law to:

341. In assessing a secondary school's personal development offer, inspectors will assess the quality of careers provision and how well it benefits pupils in choosing and deciding on their next steps. This will include looking at:

the quality of the unbiased careers advice and guidance provided to pupils

the school's implementation of the provider access arrangements to enable a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils in Years 8 to 13

how the school provides good-quality, meaningful opportunities for pupils to encounter the world of work

the school's use of the Gatsby Benchmarks

the school's published information about its careers provision (as required by the School Information Regulations) and the school's statement on its provider access arrangements (as required by section 42B of the Education Act 1997)

342. If a school is not meeting the requirements of section 42B of the Education Act 1997, inspectors will state this in the inspection report. They will consider what impact this has on the quality of careers provision and the subsequent judgement for personal development.

Ofsted's approach to evaluating personal development on ungraded inspections

343. In evaluating personal development for ungraded inspections, inspectors may consider any of the factors set out in the grade descriptors for graded inspections. However, they will focus on:

the extent to which the curriculum goes beyond the academic, vocational or technical

whether the school provides effectively for pupils' broader development

whether the school's work to enhance pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of a high quality

secondary schools' approaches to CIEAG

Evaluating a school's approach to harmful sexual behaviour on ungraded inspections

344. Inspectors will expect schools to assume that sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence are happening in and around the school, even when there are no specific reports. They will expect schools to work to prevent sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence through a whole-school approach that includes an effective behaviour policy with appropriate sanctions, pastoral support and a carefully planned RSHE curriculum that includes addressing issues of consent.

Evaluating a school's approach to careers provision on ungraded inspections

345. Inspectors will review and assess secondary schools' approaches to CIEAG. If a school is not meeting its requirements in respect of career's advice, inspectors will state this in the inspection report.

Evaluating leadership and management

346. The leadership and management judgement is about how leaders and governors/trustees collectively ensure that the education that the school provides has a positive impact on all its pupils. It focuses on the areas where inspection and research indicate that leaders can have the strongest effect on the quality of the education provided by the school. Important factors include:

347. Our evidence for the importance of each of these factors comes from our inspection experience, areas of consensus in academic research and our own research. There is a full note of how the criteria relate to the evidence available in our EIF research commentary.

348. The 'safeguarding' section sets out the importance of safeguarding and its place on inspection.

Different levels of leadership

Leadership and management in a school

349. Inspectors will look at the work of headteachers, trust leaders, subject leaders and others with leadership and management roles when reaching this judgement.

Leadership and management in academies

350. When a school is an academy, it is important for inspectors to remember that the trust is one entity, and that the board of trustees and trust leaders are responsible for the quality of education provided in all the schools that make up the trust.

351. It is highly likely that parts of some of the leadership functions described in the grade criteria are performed by trust leaders (for example, the CEO or an education director) and not solely by individual leaders of the school. As such, the roles those leaders perform will be relevant to the school inspection.

352. Even where most decisions are made at the school level, the role of trusts will still be relevant, including how they assure and ensure that decision making about the implementation of trust policy, where applicable, is leading to a high-quality education for pupils.

353. Inspectors will consult the school and trust in order to determine the different levels of responsibility and oversight within the trust and so who they need to meet in the structure of the trust in order to inspect the school. Because leadership functions will be performed by trust leaders, inspectors will consider which they will need to meet in order to gather evidence.

354. It will be normal for inspectors to meet the CEO or their delegate. The CEO or their delegate may also attend key inspection team meetings at the end of each inspection day.

Governance

355. Inspectors will seek evidence of the impact of the board of governors or the board of trustees.

356. The DfE's governance handbook sets out the purpose of governance, which is to provide confident, strategic leadership and to create robust accountability, oversight and assurance for educational and financial performance.

357. Inspectors will explore how governors/trustees carry out their functions. For example, the clarity of the school's vision, ethos and strategic direction will have a significant impact on the decisions that leaders make about the curriculum. Inspectors will consider whether the work of the board of governors or the board of trustees in this respect is supporting the school to provide a high-quality education for its pupils.

358. In addition, the board of governors or the board of trustees are responsible for ensuring that the school fulfils its statutory duties, for example under the Equality Act 2010, and other duties, for example in relation to the 'Prevent' duty. The board of governors or the board of trustees are also expected to exercise strategic oversight of all aspects of safeguarding. When inspectors consider whether the board of governors or the board of trustees are fulfilling this responsibility, they are not expected to construct or review a list of duties.

Governance in academies

359. In an academy, the board of trustees is responsible for governance. Inspectors will speak to the chair of the board of trustees (or their delegate) and as many other trustees as are available.

360. Executive trust leaders may or may not sit on the board of trustees (and as such be part of the governance of a trust) and so the distinction between leadership and governance may vary in different trusts. All trusts should have, and publish, a scheme of delegation clearly setting out everything that has been delegated by the board of trustees. Advice on how this should work can be found in the DfE guidance 'Multi-academy trusts: establishing and developing your trust'.

361. When inspecting academies, inspectors will need to bear in mind that governance functions can be quite different from those in a maintained school. Some functions that a governing body in a maintained school would carry out may be done by the trust's leaders or staff. If this is the case, it will be important for inspectors to ascertain the board of trustees' role in that process and how it ensures and assures that these functions are carried out properly.

362. It may be that the board of trustees have chosen to delegate some of their powers to members of an 'academy committee' or 'local governing board' at school level. If inspectors are informed that a local governing body has delegated responsibilities, they should establish clearly which powers are with the trustees, which are with the trust leaders and which are with the local governing board. They should then ensure that both their inspection activities and the inspection report accurately reflect who is responsible for what. Whatever the situation, they will still need to talk to the chair of the trust board (or their delegate).

Specific considerations for evaluating leadership and management

The use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding

363. Inspectors will gather evidence about the use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding (and, where applicable, early years pupil premium), particularly regarding:

the level of funding received by the school in the current academic year and levels of pupil premium funding received in previous academic years

how leaders and governors have spent the funding, their rationale for this spending and its intended impact on the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils (including those with SEND).

External support

364. If the school has received support from an external body, inspectors will not evaluate or report on the quality or the impact of the support and challenge on improvement in the school. Instead, they will comment on the action that the school has taken and the impact that this has had on the quality of the school's work.

365. If a school is part of a trust and is receiving support from within the trust, inspectors will be clear that this is internal, not external, support.

Separation by sex

366. Schools have an obligation not to discriminate against pupils on the basis of protected characteristics. It may be unlawful for schools to separate pupils on the basis of any protected characteristic such as sex, religion, belief or gender reassignment while at school, unless permitted by an exception under the Equality Act 2010, such as:

367. If an inspector finds any evidence of potentially less favourable treatment because of a protected characteristic, they will contact the duty desk and must take legal advice. If complex issues mean that advice takes longer than anticipated, we may pause the inspection until the advice has been received.

368. It would be for a court to decide whether a school is in fact unlawfully discriminating against its pupils. However, if inspectors consider that there is sufficient evidence to support such a conclusion, they will write about this clearly in the inspection report. The separation may have an impact on the schools grade:

369. Where appropriate, inspectors will also refer to the following guidance:

Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics

370. How a school meets the expectations of the DfE's statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education contributes to the leadership and management judgement. If a primary school does not teach about lesbian, gay and bisexual relationships, this will not have an impact on the leadership and management judgement as long as the school can satisfy inspectors that it has still fulfilled the requirements of the DfE's statutory guidance. If it cannot do this, for example if it has failed to consult with parents, inspectors will consider this when making the leadership and management judgement. Similarly, if a secondary school has not fulfilled the requirements of the DfE 's statutory guidance, for example, if it has failed to consult with parents, inspectors will also consider this when making the leadership and management judgement. In those circumstances, the school will not ordinarily receive a judgement for this better than requires improvement.

371. If a secondary school does not teach about lesbian, gay and bisexual relationships, it will not be meeting the expectations of the DfE 's statutory guidance. Inspectors will consider this when making the leadership and management judgement. In those circumstances, the school will not ordinarily receive a judgement for this better than requires improvement.

372. See 'Inspecting teaching of the protected characteristics' for further guidance.

Workload

373. When used effectively, assessment helps pupils to embed knowledge and use it fluently, and assists teachers in producing clear next steps for pupils. However, assessment is too often carried out in a way that creates unnecessary burdens for staff and pupils. It is therefore important that leaders and teachers understand its limitations and avoid misuse and overuse.

374. Assessment should support the teaching of the curriculum, but not substantially increase teachers' workloads by necessitating too much one-to-one teaching or overly demanding programmes that are almost impossible to deliver without lowering expectations of some pupils.

375. Collecting data can also create an additional workload for school leaders and other staff. Inspectors will look at whether schools' collections of attainment or progress data are proportionate, represent an efficient use of school resources, and are sustainable for staff. The Teacher Workload Advisory Group's report, 'Making data work', recommends that leaders should not have more than 2 or 3 data collection points a year, and that these should be used to inform clear actions.

376. Schools choosing to use more than 2 or 3 data collection points a year should have clear reasoning for:

377. Inspectors will seek to understand how staff are supported and the steps that are being taken to remove the risk of additional workload. If a school's system for data collection is disproportionate, inefficient or unsustainable for staff, inspectors will reflect this in the inspection report.

Safeguarding

378. All schools should have an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first. This means they:

protect pupils from serious harm, both online and offline

are vigilant, maintaining an attitude of 'it could happen here'

are open and transparent, sharing information with others and actively seeking expert advice when required and making sure all safeguarding decisions are accessible for appropriate scrutiny, being accepting of challenge to ensure the right decisions are made, and accepting that there may be safeguarding issues in any provision at any time (see also paragraph 424 of 'Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges')

ensure that all those who work with pupils are trained well so that they understand their responsibilities and the systems and processes that the school operates and are empowered to 'speak out' where there may be concerns

actively seek and listen to the views and experiences of pupils, staff and parents, taking prompt but proportionate action to address any concerns, where needed

are receptive to challenge and reflective of their own practices to ensure that safeguarding policies, systems and processes are kept under continuous review

379. Inspectors will not use the four-point grading scale for this aspect of the school. However, inspectors will always make a written judgement under 'leadership and management' in the report about whether the arrangements for safeguarding pupils are effective.

380. Inspectors will be familiar with relevant guidance and statutory responsibilities for schools on safeguarding, including:

381. However, inspectors will go beyond ensuring that schools meet their statutory requirements and beyond simply reviewing documents. They will triangulate evidence gathered during the inspection to evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding culture that has been established in the school.

Evaluating safeguarding culture

382. Inspectors will evaluate the extent to which there is an effective whole-school approach to safeguarding. They will want to find out how well staff keep pupils safe.

383. Inspectors will not make judgements about safeguarding based solely on the evidence that the school presents during the inspection. To examine safeguarding culture, inspectors must probe further and take into account a range of evidence so that they are able to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements over time. Inspectors will focus on reviewing decisions made and incidents that have occurred since the last inspection. They will also give proportionate consideration to pupils' and parents' views using surveys, complaints or local intelligence.

384. Inspectors will look for evidence of effective safeguarding practice and at the impact of this practice on all pupils. Inspectors will examine how a school is implementing its safeguarding policies and processes effectively and how it keeps them under review.

385. Inspectors will ensure that the school has proper arrangements in place for sharing information appropriately with relevant parties, including forwarding information to schools and post-16 or post-18 providers (such as at the point of transition) and other agencies, such as the Teaching Regulation Agency, for example, around teacher misconduct.

386. On all inspections, inspectors will determine whether there have been any safeguarding incidents or allegations since the last inspection, and whether the school has taken appropriate action to safeguard the pupils affected and/or to deal with allegations.

387. Inspectors will take a proportionate account of the comments made about safeguarding from staff, pupils and parents of pupils who attend the school, balancing these alongside the other evidence collected during the inspection.

Speaking to pupils

388. The school must provide opportunities for inspectors to speak to pupils with no other adults present, unless there are exceptional circumstances, as it is important that pupils are able to express their views freely to inspectors. See our guidance 'Inspectors talking to pupils on inspection'.

389. As outlined above, inspectors will triangulate evidence gathered during the inspection to evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding culture that has been established in the school. If inspectors cannot corroborate this evidence because they are prevented from talking to pupils on inspection, then safeguarding will likely be judged ineffective.

Arrangements for handling evidence or allegations of abuse

390. Inspectors will also look at how schools handle allegations of sexual abuse, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, including the extent to which:

391. If schools do not have adequate processes in place to manage evidence or allegations of abuse, it is likely that safeguarding will be considered ineffective.

Evidence or allegations of abuse identified on inspection

392. On a very small number of occasions, inspectors may come across evidence or allegations of child abuse, including sexual abuse, during an inspection. Inspectors must not attempt to investigate any incident or allegations but will make sure that concerns about a child's safety are reported to the appropriate authority. Any referrals will normally be made by the designated safeguarding lead for the school (see 'Safeguarding concerns: guidance for inspectors'). Inspectors must be satisfied that the correct referral has taken place and record this in their evidence base.

393. If a child discloses to an inspector that they are suffering or at risk of abuse, the inspector will stop all other activity and focus on ensuring that the child receives the help they need. Specific guidance on what to do in this situation can be found in 'Safeguarding concerns: guidance for inspectors'.

Minor safeguarding improvements

394. Inspectors may identify minor improvements that need to be made to the school's safeguarding practices during inspection, such as administrative errors in paperwork or out-of-date policies. Some of these improvements may be rectified easily before the end of the inspection. Where this is the case, inspectors will have a constructive and professional conversation with leaders so that the school has every chance to make these minor improvements. Where minor improvements are required but these are not able to be resolved before the end of the inspection, if the school has taken steps to resolve the issue, the school can still be judged effective for safeguarding. Importantly, any minor improvements that need to be made, while strengthening safeguarding practice, will not have an immediate impact on the safety of pupils.

Ineffective safeguarding

395. Safeguarding is ineffective when there are serious or widespread failures in the school's safeguarding arrangements. The school's arrangements for safeguarding pupils do not meet statutory requirements, or they give serious cause for concern, or the school has taken insufficient action to remedy weaknesses following a serious incident.

396. While it is not possible to produce an exhaustive list, the following are examples of what may constitute ineffective safeguarding:

insufficient action is being taken to remedy weaknesses following a failure of safeguarding arrangements that meant children may have not been safe

safeguarding allegations about staff members are not being handled appropriately

clear evidence of serious failures in safeguarding practice that lead pupils or particular groups of pupils not to be safe in school

statutory requirements, such as breaches of the requirements for Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS) checks, are not being met

pupils have little confidence that the school or setting will address concerns about their safety, including risk of abuse, because leaders have not taken their views seriously and/or addressed relevant concerns

pupils, particularly vulnerable pupils, who are not on the school site (whether long term, temporary or for part of the school day) and the school are either not clear where those pupils are or are not able to give reassurances as to the appropriate steps taken to safeguard them when off-site. This can include children absent from education and children attending inappropriate, unregistered or unmonitored alternative provision.

Ofsted's approach to evaluating leadership and management on graded inspections

397. Evidence used to evaluate the impact of leaders' (including trust leaders') work, both currently and over time, includes, but is not limited to:

398. Inspectors will always report on the school's activity to gather the views of staff, whether through its internal procedures or through using the Ofsted questionnaire. They will do this in the 'information about this inspection' section.

Evaluating schools' use of alternative provision on graded inspections

399. Inspectors will evaluate how well a school continues to take responsibility for its pupils who attend alternative or off-site provision. Inspectors need to be assured that leaders have ensured that the alternative provision is a suitable and safe placement that will meet pupils' academic/vocational/technical needs, pastoral needs and, if appropriate, SEND needs. Inspectors will speak to a selection of pupils who attend off-site provision, where possible, including potentially through video or telephone calls.

400. Inspectors will ask the school about the registration status of any alternative providers that they use. Any provider of alternative provision must be registered as an independent school if it caters full time for 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age, or one pupil who is looked after or has an education, health and care ( EHC) plan. If a school uses alternative provision that should be registered but is not, inspectors will carefully consider whether this affects the likelihood that pupils are safeguarded effectively.

401. Inspectors will normally visit a sample of any part-time unregistered alternative providers during the inspection, as directed by the relevant Ofsted region. This may be completed remotely. This is to assess the adequacy of the school's quality assurance process. Inspectors will normally visit any registered alternative provision site that we have not yet inspected to assess the adequacy of the school's quality assurance process.

402. Inspectors will consider the quality of registered alternative provision using our latest inspection report and assess its impact on the overall quality of education for pupils in a proportionate way.

403. Inspectors will consider:

the reasons why leaders considered off-site provision to be the best option for the pupils concerned, and whether leaders have kept that under review

whether leaders have made the appropriate checks on the registration status of the provision and how that has influenced their decision to use that provider

what safeguarding checks leaders have made and continue to make to ensure that the provision is a safe place for their pupils to attend

the extent to which leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a well-planned and sequenced, well-taught, broad and balanced curriculum

the attendance and behaviour of the pupils who attend the provision

how well the provision promotes pupils' personal development

404. If a school uses a provider that is not registered, the inspector must contact the duty desk so that staff can notify Ofsted's unregistered schools team. Following the inspection, the team will determine whether Ofsted needs to take further action because there is reasonable cause to believe that the setting is operating as an unregistered school.

405. A school is likely to be judged inadequate for leadership and management if:

Evaluating gaming on a graded inspection

406. Inspectors will challenge leaders about unusual patterns of examination entry that appear to 'game the system', for example if they are entering pupils for courses that are not in their educational best interest. The IDSR will provide inspectors with areas to investigate when nationally available data suggests that gaming may be taking place. If inspectors uncover evidence that deliberate gaming is taking place, the leadership and management judgement is likely to be inadequate.

407. Inspectors will also challenge leaders about unusual patterns in the way that the school records attendance, including the use of inaccurate register codes or changes to when the register is taken. For example, if inspectors reasonably believe that a school is inaccurately recording attendance, has changed the timing of session registration to game attendance rates or is using part-time timetables inappropriately, then inspectors are likely to judge leadership and management to be inadequate.

Evaluating a school's approach to inclusion and off-rolling on a graded inspection

408. Schools should have an inclusive culture that supports arrangements to:

409. As set out in the DfE's attendance guidance, in very exceptional circumstances, where it is in a pupil's best interests, there may be a need for a temporary part-time timetable to meet their individual needs. The DfE guidance 'Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance' provides further specific guidance for pupils who are anxious about attending school.

410. Both pieces of guidance are clear that a part-time timetable must be in place only for the shortest time necessary and not be treated as a long-term solution, and may not be used to manage behaviour. The school will need to show inspectors why a part-time timetable is in place for any pupil and that there were plans, from the very beginning, to return to a full-time timetable. Where part-time timetables are being used inappropriately, this may be an unlawful suspension of a pupil (see next paragraph). If a part-time timetable is justified but the school has no clear plans to return the pupil to full-time education, this will likely impact its leadership and management grade.

411. An unlawful suspension is where a pupil is sent home, or told not to come into school, often as a result of a pupil's behaviour, without a formal suspension being used. This may be off-rolling (see next paragraph), although it may not be off-rolling: the school may consider it to be in the pupil's interest. Like any other legal breach that has a negative impact on pupils, this would normally mean an inadequate judgement for leadership and management.

412. 'Off-rolling' is a form of gaming where a school:

413. When inspectors find evidence of off-rolling taking place by Ofsted's definition, they will always address this in the inspection report. They may, depending on the scale and impact, need to consider it when reaching the judgement. Where a decision is lawful, but still meets Ofsted's definition of off-rolling, inspectors will be careful to consider the context of the decision and the integrity of leaders' actions. They should be clear about what impact the off-rolling has had on pupils involved, and on the school. There are many different activities that can constitute off-rolling, so there can be no hard and fast rules as to how it should be addressed. However, if inspectors determine the school to be off-rolling according to Ofsted's definition, then the leadership and management of the school are likely to be judged inadequate.

414. There are many situations where a school removes a pupil from the school roll that would not amount to off-rolling. These include those set out in the DfE's School suspensions and permanent exclusions guidance. Managed moves and off-site direction, for example, can both be effective tools in breaking a cycle of poor behaviour. Neither are off-rolling when they are genuinely used in a pupil's best interests, and within the requirements of the statutory guidance. Similarly, if a pupil transfers to the roll of their alternative provision, is dual-registered or dual-coded across 2 schools or providers, or uses alternative provision while they remain registered at the school, provided this is genuinely in the best interest of the pupil, it is not off-rolling. If a school appropriately removes a pupil from the roll due to a formal permanent exclusion and follows the proper processes, this is not off-rolling. Headteachers have the right to exclude pupils when there are legitimate reasons for them to do so. Used correctly, exclusion is a vital measure for headteachers to use.

415. However, any of these measures can amount to off-rolling or gaming in some cases, and if a school uses them, inspectors may ask to see evidence of the ways in which these have been carried out.

416. Inspectors will also be interested if there are high numbers of pupils moving on and off roll, but this may not in itself mean that off-rolling is taking place.

The impact of safeguarding on the leadership and management judgement on graded inspections

417. When safeguarding is ineffective, this is likely to lead to a judgement of inadequate for leadership and management.

Ofsted's approach to evaluating leadership and management on ungraded inspections

418. In evaluating leadership and management for ungraded inspections, inspectors may consider any of the factors set out in the grade descriptors for graded inspections; however, they will focus on the matters set out below. In addition, inspectors will consider the extent to which governors/trustees understand their role and carry this out effectively.

Evaluating a school's approach to safeguarding on an ungraded inspection

419. Inspectors will always consider the effectiveness of the school's safeguarding. All schools should have an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first. This means that they:

protect pupils from serious harm, both online and offline

are vigilant, maintaining an attitude of 'it could happen here'

are open and transparent, sharing information with others and actively seeking expert advice when required

ensure that all those who work with pupils are trained well so that they understand their responsibilities and the systems and processes that the school operates and are empowered to 'speak out' where there may be concerns

actively seek and listen to the views and experiences of pupils, staff and parents, taking prompt but proportionate action to address any concerns, where needed

are receptive to challenge and reflective of their own practices to ensure that safeguarding policies, systems and processes are kept under continuous review

420. Inspectors will usually carry out the following activities during the inspection to inform their safeguarding judgement:

421. Inspectors will not grade this key aspect of a school's work. However, inspectors will always make a written judgement in the report about whether the arrangements for safeguarding children and pupils are effective. Inspectors will go beyond simply reviewing documents in order to evaluate the safeguarding culture of the school.

422. Inspectors may identify minor improvements that need to be made to the school's safeguarding practices during inspection, such as administrative errors in paperwork or out-of-date policies. Some of these improvements may be rectified easily before the end of the inspection. Where this is the case, inspectors will give the school the chance to make these minor improvements. Where minor improvements are required but these are not able to be resolved before the end of the inspection, the school can still be judged effective for safeguarding. Importantly, any minor improvements that need to be made, while strengthening safeguarding practice, will not have an immediate impact on the safety of pupils.

Evaluating a school's approach to gaming and off-rolling on an ungraded inspection

423. Inspectors will look for any evidence that suggests that the school may be gaming or off-rolling, which could be evidence that the school would no longer receive at least its current grade if a graded inspection were carried out. Where the lead inspector has serious concerns about gaming or off-rolling, the inspection will be deemed to be a graded inspection.

Evaluating a school's approach to staff workload on an ungraded inspection

424. Inspectors will look at the extent to which leaders engage with staff and are aware and take account of the main pressures on them, engaging with them realistically and constructively.

425. Inspectors will consider the extent to which staff are free from bullying and harassment. Inspectors will also consider whether leaders and other staff understand the limitations of assessment and use it in a way that will avoid creating unnecessary burdens.

426. Inspectors will seek to understand how staff are supported and the steps that are being taken to remove the risk of additional workload.

427. If these issues are not being managed well, this could be considered as evidence that the school would no longer receive at least its current grade if a graded inspection were carried out. Where the lead inspector has serious concerns about workload or the bullying or harassment of staff, the inspection will be deemed to be a graded inspection.

Evaluating early years and sixth-form provision on graded inspections

Early years provision in schools

428. Inspectors are required to grade the standards of education and care in any early years provision in schools and to write about its effectiveness in the inspection report. Inspectors' judgement on the effectiveness of early years provision will include evaluation of the provision for 2- and 3-year-olds. Inspectors will also note if any children receive additional funding.

429. We recognise that the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic may have impacted on children's learning or, development. This could result in some children having a wider than usual range of starting points and gaps in their knowledge. Inspectors will pay close attention to how schools identify and address any of these delays and gaps and what the school is doing to address disruption to learning to ensure that children are well prepared for their next stage of education. Inspectors will use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a child in the early years provision, taking account of the ages of the children and whether they attend part time or full time.

430. The effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding children is reflected in the main judgement for the school.

431. Inspectors will take account of all the judgements made across the evaluation schedule. In particular, they should consider:

the extent to which leaders and other staff plan, design and implement the early years curriculum

the extent to which the curriculum and care practices meet the needs of the range of children who attend, particularly any children with SEND

the progress all children make in their learning and development relative to their starting points and their readiness for the next stage of their education

children's personal, social and emotional development, including whether they feel safe and are secure, stimulated and happy

432. Inspectors will particularly consider the intent, implementation and impact of the school's early years curriculum. They will evaluate the impact that the quality of education has on children, particularly disadvantaged pupils (including those with SEND).

433. Inspectors will look at children's learning and development over time. They will ascertain how well the curriculum is meeting children's needs. This will be evident in the extent to which children know and remember more of the intended curriculum. Inspectors need to make careful inferences about children's current progress by drawing together evidence from a range of sources.

434. Inspectors will consider, taking into account any exemptions from the learning and development requirements of the EYFS, how well:

leaders assure themselves that the aims of the EYFS are met and that it is appropriately ambitious for the children it serves. Staff ensure that the content, sequencing and progression in the 7 areas of learning are secured

the content of the EYFS curriculum is taught in a logical progression, systematically and in a way that is explained effectively, so that it gives children the necessary foundations for the rest of their schooling

children develop, consolidate and deepen their knowledge, understanding and skills across all the areas of learning in the EYFS

staff develop children's communication and language through singing songs, nursery rhymes and playing games

staff develop children's love of reading through reading aloud and telling stories and rhymes

435. More information about inspections and the EYFS, including how inspectors will take account of any exemptions and modifications to the learning and development requirements, can be found on GOV.UK

436. Teaching is a broad term that covers the many different ways in which adults help young children learn. It includes their interactions with children during planned and child-initiated play and activities, communicating and modelling language, showing, explaining, demonstrating, exploring ideas, encouraging, questioning, recalling, providing a narrative for what they are doing, facilitating and setting challenges. It takes account of the equipment that adults provide and the attention given to the physical environment, as well as the structure and routines of the day that establish expectations. Integral to teaching is how practitioners assess what children know, understand and can do, as well as taking account of their interests and dispositions to learn (characteristics of effective learning), and how practitioners use this information to plan children's next steps in learning and to monitor their progress.

437. In addition, when observing provision for 2- and 3-year-olds, inspectors will consider the extent to which all staff are:

Sixth-form provision in schools

438. Inspectors are required to grade the standard of education in any sixth-form provision in schools and to write about the sixth form in the inspection report. Inspectors will use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to be a student in the sixth form.

439. The effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding students is reflected in the main judgement for the school.

440. Inspectors will take account of the key judgement areas in the evaluation schedule. They should consider:

the extent to which leaders and teachers have high expectations for attainment and progress and the effectiveness of the systems they use to monitor and develop the quality of sixth-form programmes for all students, including disadvantaged pupils, which in turn includes those with SEND

how leaders and teachers develop a curriculum that provides progression, stretch, mathematics and English for those young people without GCSE grades 9 to 4 (or legacy grades A* to C), as well as work experience or industry placements and non-qualification activities (which may include tutorials, work to develop study, leadership, teamwork, self-management skills and volunteering)

the effectiveness of high-quality, impartial careers guidance in enabling all students to make progress and move on to a higher level of qualification, employment or further training when they are ready to do so

441. Through observing teaching and training activities and by holding discussions with students, teachers and support staff, inspectors will consider how well:

442. Inspection of apprenticeships training is not in the scope of graded or ungraded inspections of schools. Inspection of T-level technical education programmes is in scope from September 2023. Where T levels are offered by a school sixth form, inspectors will consider this provision as part of their evaluation of the quality of education.

Part 3. Grade descriptors for graded inspections

443. This part sets out the grade descriptors that inspectors will use in coming to judgements on graded inspections.

Reaching a judgement

444. Inspectors will make 4 key judgements:

445. Where relevant, inspectors will also make 2 provision judgements:

446. Inspectors will also make a judgement on the school's overall effectiveness.

447. The grade descriptors are not exhaustive. They do not replace inspectors' professional judgements. Inspectors will interpret the way that grades are described according to pupils' age, stage and phase of education.

Ofsted judgements

448. Inspectors use the following 4-point scale to make all judgements:

449. Outstanding is a challenging and exacting judgement. In order to reach this standard, inspectors will determine whether the school meets all the criteria for good under that judgement, and does so securely and consistently.

450. In other words, it is not enough that the school is strong against some aspects of the judgement and not against others, but it must meet each and every good criterion. In addition, there are further criteria set out under the outstanding judgement, which the school will also need to meet.

451. When considering a judgement of good or requires improvement, inspectors will look at whether the overall quality of the school is most closely aligned to the descriptors set out.

452. A school is likely to be inadequate under a particular judgement if one or more of the inadequate criteria applies.

Grade descriptors for quality of education

453. In order for the quality of education judgement to be outstanding, the school must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

454. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Good (2)

Leaders adopt or construct a curriculum that is ambitious and designed to give all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils (including pupils with SEND), the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. This is either the national curriculum or a curriculum of comparable breadth and ambition.

The curriculum may undergo necessary changes (for example, following a review by leaders or to take account of COVID-19) and certain aspects may be more developed than others. Where this is the case, these changes do not prevent all pupils having access to an appropriately broad and ambitious curriculum. Where adaptations to curriculum breadth are made for particular pupils, there is a clear rationale for why this is in those pupils' interests, and, where appropriate, there is a clear plan for returning all pupils to studying the full curriculum.

The school's curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.

Pupils study the full curriculum; it is not narrowed:

in primary schools, a broad range of subjects (exemplified by the national curriculum) is taught in key stage 2 throughout each and all of Years 3 to 6

in secondary schools, the school teaches a broad range of subjects (exemplified by the national curriculum) throughout Years 7 to 9. The school's aim is to have the EBacc at the heart of its curriculum, in line with the DfE 's ambition where this applies, and good progress has been made towards this ambition.

The curriculum is successfully adapted, designed or developed to be ambitious and meet the needs of pupils with SEND, developing their knowledge, skills and abilities to apply what they know and can do with increasing fluency and independence.

The work given enables pupils to achieve the aims and ambition of the curriculum, which is coherently planned and sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge.

Teachers have good knowledge of the subject(s) and courses they teach. Leaders provide effective support, including for those teaching outside their main areas of expertise.

Teachers present subject matter clearly, promoting appropriate discussion about the subject matter being taught. They check pupils' understanding systematically, identify misconceptions accurately and provide clear, direct feedback. In so doing, they respond and adapt their teaching as necessary without unnecessarily elaborate or individualised approaches.

Over the course of study, teaching is designed to help pupils to remember long term the content they have been taught and to integrate new knowledge into larger ideas.

Any remote education is well integrated within course(s) of study, and is well designed to support the wider implementation of the school's curriculum.

Teachers and leaders use assessment well. For example, they use it to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently, or to check understanding and inform teaching, or to understand different starting points and gaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders understand the limitations of assessment and do not use it in a way that creates unnecessary burdens on staff or pupils.

Teachers create an environment that focuses on pupils. The textbooks and other teaching materials that teachers select - in a way that does not create unnecessary workload for staff - reflect the school's ambitious intentions for the course of study. These materials clearly support the intent of a coherently planned curriculum, sequenced towards cumulatively sufficient knowledge and skills for future learning and employment.

Reading is prioritised to allow pupils to access the full curriculum offer.

A rigorous and sequential approach to the reading curriculum develops pupils' fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading. At all stages, reading attainment is assessed and gaps are addressed quickly and effectively for all pupils. Reading books connect closely to the phonics knowledge that pupils are taught when they are learning to read.

The sharp focus on ensuring that younger children and those at the early stages of reading gain the phonics knowledge and language comprehension necessary to read, and the skills to communicate, gives them the foundations for future learning.

Teachers ensure that their own speaking, listening, writing and reading of English support pupils in developing their language and vocabulary well.

Pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and, as a result, achieve well. This is reflected in the work that pupils produce.

Where available, impact is reflected in results from national tests and examinations that meet government expectations, or in the qualifications obtained. Teacher assessed grades from 2020 and 2021 will not be used to assess impact.

Pupils are ready for the next stage of education, employment or training. They have the knowledge and skills they need and, where relevant, they gain qualifications that allow them to go on to destinations that meet their interests and aspirations and the intention of their course of study. Pupils with SEND achieve the best possible outcomes.

Pupils read widely and often, with fluency and comprehension appropriate to their age. They are able to apply mathematical knowledge, concepts and procedures appropriately for their age.

Grade descriptors for evaluating behaviour and attitudes

455. In order for the behaviour and attitudes judgement to be outstanding, the school must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

456. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Good (2)

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. These expectations are commonly understood and applied consistently and fairly. This is reflected in pupils' positive behaviour and conduct. Low-level disruption is not tolerated and pupils' behaviour does not disrupt lessons or the day-to-day life of the school. Leaders support all staff well in managing pupils' behaviour. Staff make sure that pupils follow appropriate routines.

Leaders, staff and pupils create a positive environment in which bullying is not tolerated. If bullying, aggression, discrimination and derogatory language occur, they are dealt with quickly and effectively and are not allowed to spread.

There is demonstrable improvement in the behaviour and attendance of pupils who have particular needs.

Pupils' attitudes to their education are positive. They are committed to their learning, know how to study effectively and do so, are resilient to setbacks and take pride in their achievements.

Pupils have high attendance. They come to school on time and are punctual to lessons. When this is not the case, the school takes appropriate, swift and effective action.

Suspensions are used appropriately. The school reintegrates suspended pupils on their return and manages their behaviour effectively. Permanent exclusions are used appropriately as a last resort (see statutory guidance on school exclusion).

Relationships among pupils and staff reflect a positive and respectful culture; pupils are safe and they feel safe.

Grade descriptors for personal development

457. In order for the personal development judgement to be outstanding, the school must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently, and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

In addition, the following apply:

The school consistently promotes the extensive personal development of pupils. The school goes beyond the expected, so that pupils have access to a wide, rich set of experiences. Opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests are of exceptional quality.

There is strong take-up by pupils of the opportunities provided by the school. Disadvantaged pupils( including those with SEND), consistently benefit from this excellent work.

The school provides these rich experiences in a coherently planned way, in the curriculum and through extra-curricular activities, and they considerably strengthen the school's offer.

The way the school goes about developing pupils' character is exemplary and is worthy of being shared with others.

458. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Grade descriptors for leadership and management

459. In order for the leadership and management judgement to be outstanding, the school must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently, and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

460. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Good (2)

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for providing high-quality education to all pupils. This is realised through strong, shared values, policies and practice.

Leaders focus on improving teachers' subject, pedagogical and pedagogical content knowledge in order to enhance the teaching of the curriculum and the appropriate use of assessment. The practice and subject knowledge of staff, including ECTs, build and improve over time. This includes building teachers' expertise in remote education.

Leaders aim to ensure that all pupils successfully complete their programmes of study. They provide the support for staff to make this possible. They create an inclusive culture and do not allow gaming or off-rolling.

Leaders engage effectively with pupils and others in their community, including, when relevant, parents, employers and local services. Engagement opportunities are focused and have purpose.

Leaders engage with their staff and are aware and take account of the main pressures on them. They are realistic and constructive in the way they manage staff, including their workload.

Leaders protect staff from bullying and harassment.

Governors/trustees understand their role and carry this out effectively. Governors/trustees ensure that the school has a clear vision and strategy, that resources are managed well and that leaders are held to account for the quality of education.

Governors or trustees ensure that the school fulfils its statutory duties, for example under the Equality Act 2010, and other duties, for example in relation to the 'Prevent' duty and safeguarding.

Safeguarding is effective

Requires improvement (3)

Grade descriptors for early years provision in schools

461. In order for the early years provision of a school to be judged outstanding, it must meet all of the good criteria securely and consistently, and it must also meet the additional outstanding criteria.

Outstanding (1)

In addition, the following apply:

The EYFS curriculum provides no limits or barriers to the children's achievements, regardless of their backgrounds, circumstances or needs. The high ambition it embodies is shared by all staff.

The impact of the curriculum on what children know, can remember and do is strong. Children demonstrate this through being deeply engaged and sustaining high levels of concentration. Children, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, do well. Children with SEND achieve the best possible outcomes.

Children are highly motivated and are eager to join in. They share and cooperate well, demonstrating high levels of self-control and respect for others. Children consistently keep on trying hard, particularly if they encounter difficulties.

462. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Grade descriptors for sixth-form provision in schools

463. In order to judge whether a school is good or requires improvement, inspectors will use a 'best fit' approach, relying on the inspection team's professional judgement.

Grade descriptors for overall effectiveness

464. Inspectors will use all their evidence to evaluate what it is like to attend the school. In making their judgements about a school's overall effectiveness, inspectors will consider whether the standard of education is good or whether it exceeds good and is outstanding. If it is not good, then inspectors will consider whether it requires improvement or is inadequate.

465. In judging the school's overall effectiveness, inspectors will take account of the 4 key judgements.

466. In coming to each of these key judgements, inspectors will also draw on evidence from the inspection of any early years provision or sixth-form provision and consider its impact in the wider context of the school.

467. Inspectors will judge the effectiveness of any early years provision or sixth-form provision. For either case or both, inspectors will give a grade, summarise the key findings and explain the effectiveness grading in the inspection report. However, inspectors may decide not to give a grade and not to report on the early years or sixth-form provision if there is the risk that it is possible to identify individual pupils because numbers are so small. Typically, this will be when there are fewer than 5 pupils.

468. The grade for early years and/or the grade for the sixth-form provision may be the same as, or higher or lower than, the overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors will take into account the size of the early years and sixth-form provision in relation to the size of the school when considering the impact of these judgements on the overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors will explain any difference between the early years and/or sixth-form provision grade(s) and the overall effectiveness grade in the report.

469. Inspectors will always make a written judgement about the effectiveness of the arrangements for safeguarding pupils.

470. Before making the final judgement on overall effectiveness, inspectors will always consider the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school, and evaluate the extent to which the school's education provision meets different pupils' needs, including pupils with SEND.

Outstanding (1)

Requires improvement (3)

Part 4. Urgent inspections

471. Under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 (the Act), Ofsted can carry out inspections to follow up concerns about schools that are not in a category of concern but that have been brought to its attention through, for example, a qualifying complaint made to Ofsted or by other means.

472. Inspectors will follow this guidance if we have concerns that the safety of pupils and/or staff is at risk or when information suggests that there has been a serious breakdown in leadership and management or a decline in standards. This might be raised internally through our risk assessment process, or externally through a complaint or other information we receive.

473. If we receive information about a school that causes us concern, we will weigh this carefully against all other data and information we hold before making a decision on whether to carry out an urgent inspection of the school. The decision on whether to inspect the school is made by the relevant Ofsted regional director. Where an inspection takes place as a result of a qualifying complaint, inspectors will also take account of guidance issued by the national complaints team.

474. Ofsted does not have the power to investigate individual complaints or incidents of a safeguarding and/or child protection nature. However, such matters may raise whole-school issues, for example about the school's arrangements to keep pupils safe. It is the whole-school issues that will be the focus of these inspections.

475. Urgent inspections are selective and focus sharply on the issues raised that caused the school to be inspected. As a result, inspectors will not make judgements on the overall effectiveness of the school or any of the key judgements within the EIF. Inspection findings must be made based on the areas of focus. Where the inspection focus is on the school's safeguarding arrangements, inspectors will take account of the 'safeguarding' section.

476. It is important to note that those leading, managing and governing a school are responsible for the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements. Governors/trustees in particular must ensure that the school's arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. Concerns about safeguarding may raise wider questions about the effectiveness of leadership and management and governors' ability to hold the school to account. Therefore, in some cases, urgent inspections will focus on both elements and may be expanded as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the lead inspector, using their professional judgement, to determine the precise focus of the inspection and make sure that leaders are fully aware of this when the inspection begins. An inspection may begin with a specific focus on safeguarding, but its scope may be widened to cover leadership and management or other aspects of the provision where appropriate.

477. If, during the inspection, inspectors are sufficiently concerned about the overall standard of education provided by the school, the inspection may, under section 9 of the Act, be treated as ('deemed') a graded inspection. In these cases, all the judgements required by the EIF will be made and a graded inspection report produced and published.

Before an urgent inspection

Staffing and scheduling the inspection

478. The inspection will normally last for 2 days. However, it may in some instances be shorter or longer, depending on the circumstances of the school and the nature of the concerns that led to the inspection.

479. Inspections being carried out as a result of a qualifying complaint made to Ofsted will normally be led by an HMI.

480. Inspections that arise from information that we have received should take place as soon as is practicable after the decision to inspect has taken place. The exact timing is, however, at the discretion of the relevant regional director. Inspections arising from our risk assessment process will take place throughout the year.

Notification

481. The notice given to the school of the inspection will be half a day, the same as that for graded inspections. However, we may carry out the inspection without notice. Where this is the case, we will normally telephone the school about 15 minutes before arriving on site.

482. Where notice of inspection is given, we will make the initial telephone call to the school to inform them that an inspection will take place. If required, we may arrange a time for a second longer telephone conversation with the headteacher to discuss the inspection. We will make the purpose of the inspection clear during the initial telephone call with the headteacher, and will encourage the headteacher to have at least one other senior leader present during the call, to assist and support them. This will usually be staff who typically deputise for them (or a member of trust staff) and who can understand and discuss the educational content of the calls.

483. If the inspection is carried out without notice, the lead inspector must make the focus of the inspection and the reasons that led to it clear to the headteacher at the earliest opportunity after they arrive at the school.

484. If the school is being inspected because of a qualifying complaint made to Ofsted about the school under section 11A of the Act, the school will be informed that as a result of the wider issues raised by the complaint, a decision has been taken to inspect the school.

485. The lead inspector will explain that the inspection will focus on the wider issues raised by the complaint and will not investigate the complaint itself. If the complainant has requested confidentiality, we must take all practicable steps to ensure that the complainant's identity is not disclosed to the school. At times, the nature of the complaint may mean that the headteacher is able to discern the identity of the complainant. Regardless, we will not confirm the complainant's identity.

486. The headteacher, at the end of the telephone conversation, should be in a position to understand the reasons for, and the purpose and focus of, the inspection. There is no mandatory requirement for a school to inform parents about the inspection. The lead inspector will invite the school to inform parents so that there is an opportunity for parents to contribute their views about the school through Ofsted Parent View.

487. Following the pre-inspection telephone conversation, we will confirm the arrangements for the inspection by sending a notification letter to the school. Where no prior notice of the inspection is given, we will provide formal notification of the inspection to the school after the inspector(s) have arrived.

488. Schools are not required to provide copies of any information in advance of the inspection, but if these are offered, the lead inspector will accept them.

489. Some urgent inspections may specifically focus on behaviour within the school, and these inspections will usually be carried out without prior notification.

Inspectors' preparation for the inspection

490. The lead inspector must check the provider information portal (PIP) for information relevant to the inspection. The lead inspector will brief any team inspectors about the inspection and ensure that the key lines of enquiry and key issues to pursue are understood. Where an inspection is carried out as a result of issues raised in a qualifying complaint made to Ofsted, inspectors must not investigate the complaint itself during the inspection or seek parents' views on the complaint itself. It is the whole-school issues raised in the complaint that will be followed up during inspection.

491. To prepare for the inspection, inspectors will review:

copies of any qualifying complaint(s) received, other information on the PIP and any response letters

issues raised by the investigation of any qualifying complaints about the school under the Education Act 2005

any previous Ofsted inspection report

information from the pre-inspection telephone conversation with the headteacher

any documentation emailed to the lead inspector in advance of the inspection, as agreed between the headteacher and the lead inspector

During an urgent inspection

Engagement with the school's senior leadership team

492. Inspectors will engage with the school's leadership team, and all other staff, with professionalism, courtesy, empathy and respect, in line with the code of conduct. The policies on pausing an inspection apply to urgent inspections as well as routine inspections.

493. The meeting at the start of the inspection may or may not involve the whole of the school's senior leadership team. The headteacher may be of the view that a meeting with her or him alone, or with 1 or 2 leaders, will be sufficient to limit any potential interruption to the school's normal routines.

494. The meeting with leaders at the start of the inspection will cover pertinent issues about the school and the focus of the inspection. It must give the headteacher and others (including where the school is part of a trust, the CEO or their delegate and other trust leaders (where relevant) the opportunity to present an oral summary evaluation of the school's position on the issues, and identify where evidence may be found.

Evidence gathering during the inspection

495. The kinds of activities carried out during these inspections are no different from graded inspections. However, where the focus of the inspection is on the school's safeguarding arrangements, activities should focus on safeguarding issues, including, but not exclusively:

496. The exact structure of the day will depend on the issues to be followed up and is likely to be drawn from the sources of evidence described in part 2 above.

497. During the inspection, the lead inspector will maintain an ongoing dialogue with the headteacher and leaders . It is especially important to make sure that the headteacher and leaders understand any emerging issues. The final feedback to the school, especially when it is challenging, should not be a surprise to the headteacher or trust leaders.

498. Inspectors will not make judgements on the overall effectiveness of the school or any of the key judgements within the EIF; this is only necessary for graded inspections. If there are weaknesses in a specific area, inspectors may make specific recommendations about what the school needs to do to tackle the weaknesses in that area.

499. If, however, inspectors have sufficient evidence that some of the core reporting areas for judging a school have declined significantly since its last ungraded or graded inspection, then they will need to consider whether the effectiveness of the provision as a whole has declined. In these circumstances, it may be necessary for the inspection to be deemed to be a graded inspection, under section 9 of the Act. In these cases, all the judgements required by the EIF will be made and a graded inspection report published.

500. Alternatively, where evidence prompts concerns that overall standards may no longer be as reported under the last graded inspection, but where no serious concerns have been identified, the lead inspector may recommend to the relevant regional director that the next graded inspection be brought forward. The timing of any such inspection should not be indicated to the school. If the inspection raises concerns, these concerns should be reported at the feedback meeting.

501. Where safeguarding is a focus for the inspection or where it becomes a focus during the course of the inspection, the lead inspector, having reviewed all the evidence gathered during the inspection, will report in the letter whether safeguarding is effective.

502. Inspectors may identify minor improvements that need to be made to the school's safeguarding practices during inspection, such as administrative errors in paperwork or out-of-date policies. Some of these improvements may be rectified easily before the end of the inspection. Where this is the case, inspectors will give the school the chance to make these minor improvements. Where minor improvements are required but these are not able to be resolved before the end of the inspection, the school can still be judged effective for safeguarding. Importantly, any minor improvements that need to be made, while strengthening safeguarding practice, will not have an immediate impact on the safety of pupils.

503. If safeguarding is not effective and/or if pupils are considered to be at risk, the lead inspector will deem the inspection to be a graded inspection.

At the end of an urgent inspection

Final feedback

504. The lead inspector and headteacher should discuss which other members of staff, if any, will attend the feedback session, especially if the feedback is likely to be challenging or is likely to raise sensitive issues.

505. The oral feedback at the end of the inspection, typically towards the end of the second day of a 2-day inspection, must:

Print or save to PDF

To print this content you can:

You can also use these options and change the printer destination to save the content as a PDF.

Instructions may vary depending on which internet browser you use, such as Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, and the type of device you use, such as a phone or laptop. You can find your print and save options in your browser's menu.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This guidance came into force on 19 January 2024. 1. This handbook describes the main activities carried out during graded, ungraded and urgent inspections of maintained schools and academies in England under sections 5 and 8 of the Education Act 2005, respectively.

# data[].attributes.body
The ‘toolkit’ for food growing in schools

# data[].attributes.body
The Good School Food Awards celebrate the amazing catering teams, beautiful canteens, holiday programmes, campaigners and unsung heroes who, day in and day out, go the extra mile to make sure Britain’s school children are well nourished – the heroes that make school food brilliant

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to content

The Good School Food Awards will run in 2024!

Huge congratulations to all of the winners of our very first Good School Food Awards, sponsored by Tefal! We've had almost 2000 entries from schools across the UK, and we were absolutely blown away by the high standard. Our expert panel had the tough job of shortlisting the final nominations, before our celebrity judges chose the winners. Discover their inspiring and heartwarming stories below.

Watch this space for 2024!

Introducing the winners of 2023!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered - you're all heroes! We're so proud to celebrate the passion and dedication that's making a real difference every day.

The Golden Spoons

Everyone will win a Golden Spoon trophy, which they can proudly display in their school, showing their devotion to the foodie cause.

To recognise the incredible winners, we've got some money-can't-buy prizes, too, from books to kit out a school library to celebrity cooking classes.

We need to show big love to the food educators, teachers and catering teams that work so hard 190 days a year to feed our kids
and teach them about the joy of food.
Jamie Oliver, December 2022.

Judges

Our judges are a very special group of people, who understand and are passionate about making sure our kids are being fed well at school...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Home - Jamie Oliver's Good School Food Awards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We need to show big love to the food educators, teachers and catering teams that work so hard 190 days a year to feed our kids and teach them about the joy of food. Jamie Oliver, December 2022.

# data[].attributes.body
Download the NHS Food Scanner app to find out what's in your food and find healthy alternatives

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NHS Food Scanner app - Healthier Families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See healthier swaps and bring food labels to life with the NHS Food Scanner from Better Health. Click for download links or to find out more.

# data[].attributes.body
See & Eat books each show a different vegetable's journey from farm to fork. Helping your little ones to know and love their vegetables

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you are on a low income, your children may be entitled to free school meals and clothing grants. You can check your eligibility and apply online or call 01228 606060.

Cumbria's Holiday Activity and Food Programme offers hundreds of activities (including a meal) for young people aged 5 to 16 during the school holidays. Activities are free for families whose children receive benefits-related free school meals, with additional free places also available for young people in particular circumstances.

Visit the holiday activity website to find activities on offer during the holidays.

Eligible families in Cumbria can apply for free vitamins and help with the cost of food and milk as part of the Healthy Start scheme.

The Healthy Start scheme has two elements to it:

The first element is a prepaid card worth up to £8.50 per week to spend on fresh produce such as cow's milk, fresh, frozen, or tinned fruit and vegetables, infant formula milk and fresh, dried, and tinned pulses.

The second element offers free vitamins to eligible pregnant women and mothers for up to six months after birth (if breastfeeding or dual feeding) as well as vitamins for children up until the age of four. The vitamins will initially be distributed by Midwives and Health Visitors during their early visits and then families will be able to collect them from one of many different Community Venues (PDF 484KB) in Cumbria using their Healthy Start pre-paid card.

To apply for the healthy start prepaid card, visit the NHS website. You can find out more about the Healthy Start scheme on the Healthy Start website.

Allerdale Library Feed and Read - Receive a recipe bag with ingredients and instructions for a family of 4 or a snack bag. Self-referral service. Call 01900706170 for more information.

Rainbow food pantry, King Street, Aspatria, CA7 3ES. Purchase fruit, vegetables, and other ambient goods for a small donation. Self-referral service open Fridays, 10am to 4pm and 5pm to 7pm

Workington foodbank, The Bridge Centre, Central Square, Workington, CA14 3BG. Referral only. Foodbank open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10am to 12pm. Call 07504311452 or email info@thefoodbank.org.uk for more information.

Highfield Community Centre, Highfield Road Cockermouth CA13 9JF. Self-referral service. Community food pantry open on the second and fourth Friday of every month.

Kings Church Meal Share, 4 Market Street Cockermouth. Self-referral service. Open every Thursday: 1.30pm for food and prepared meals and every Sunday: lunch 12.30 £2 per person, places must be booked. Call 01900 821100 for more information or email admin@kingscc.org

Northside Community Centre, Trinity Drive Northside. Self-referral service. Community shop and food pantry. Call 01900 68739 for more information.

Grow West, Allerby community gardens. Self-referral service. Vegetables boxes, gardening services, training and experience. Call 01900 815003 for more information.

Helen's Herbs, St Mary's church hall, Mossbay. Workington. Self-referral service to those living in West Cumbria. Free cookery sessions in January and February 2023 aimed at cooking seasonal food from scratch with a budget in mind and are free of charge for anybody in West Cumbria. Booking essential.

Family Action, Farm Street, LA14 2RX. Self-referral service. Well Fed group. Open Monday afternoon 1pm to 2.30pm at Bram Longstaffe Hub. Call 01229 821825 for more information or email Barrow@family-action.org.uk

Family Action, Greengate Street, LA14 1BG. Self-referral service. Well Fed group. Open Monday afternoon 1pm to 2.30pm at Greengate Family Hub. Bag of fresh produce and food products for £3. Call 01229 821855 for more information or email Barrow@family-action.org.uk

Friends of Bram, Bram Longstaffe Nursery and Coommunity Hub, Farm Street, Barrow in Furness, LA14 2RX. Self-referral service. Well Fed programme every Monday excluding Bank Holidays. 1pm to 2.30pm. Access to food provision paying £3 per bag for individuals and families, who will receive fresh produce and food products. A food parcel is provided to families or individuals who contact the organisation in relation to food poverty over the weekend. Through its holiday provision throughout the year the organisation provides hot meals for the most vulnerable and isolated children. Call 01229 814900/07949434076 for more information or email davemorrison1966@hotmal.com

Foodbanks

No cost emergency food provision for targeted households through referral agencies or direct referrals should be via the person's Welfare Support Agencies:

Carlisle Foodbank, Unit 4, Tower Court, W Tower St, Carlisle CA3 8QT. Referral only. Open every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Call 07512 552449 for more information or email hello@carlislefoodbank.org.uk

Brampton Community Food, Methodist Church, Main Street, Brampton CA8 1RS. Self-referral service to those living in the area. Pop up pantry open every Friday from 9.30am to 12.30pm - small nominal charge. Call 07394 56877 for more information.

Cornerstone Food Bank, Denton Street, Denton Holme, Carlisle. Referral only. The food bank is available during its regular opening hours. Food parcels are seen as emergency support - one food parcel a fortnight and a maximum of 3 in a rolling 12-month period. Call 01228 549796 for more information.

St Barnarbas and St Lukes Churches, Brookside, Carlisle, CA2 7JT. Referral only. Thursdays 10am to 11am. Call 01228 538983 for more information.

Affordable Food Outlets (Pantries, Larders, Community Fridges)

A small fee gives entitlement to one week's worth of food which can be selected by attending one of the Outlets:

Oasis Pantry, Elim Community Church, St Pauls Church, St Pauls Square, Carlisle, CA1 1BG. Self-referral service. Food pantry open on Friday Mornings - small nominal charge. Call 07838349561 for more information.

Botcheby Community Centre Pop up pantry, Botcherby Community Centre, Victoria Road, Carlisle, CA1 2UE. Self-referral service to those living in the area. Pop up pantry open every Wednesday from 12pm to 4pm - small nominal charge. Call 01228 596992 for more information or email botcherbycc@carlisle.gov.uk

Harraby Campus Pop up pantry, Harraby Community Centre, Edgehill Road, Carlisle, CA1 3SN. Self-referral service to those living in the area. Pop up pantry open every Monday from 1pm to 4pm - small nominal charge. Call 01228 537831 for more information or email liz@harrabycommunitycentre.co.uk

Brampton Community Food, Methodist Church,Main Street, Brampton CA8 1RS. Self-referral service. Access by mobile 9.30am to 12.30pm on weekdays. Call 07394 56877 for more information.

Petteril Bank Community Centre, Burnett Road, Carlisle, CA1 3BX. Self-referral service to those living in the area. Fareshare open every Wednesday from 1.30pm to 2.30pm - donation contribution. Call 01228 530190 for more information or email admin.petterilbankcc@carlisle.gov.uk

The Lookout, Shadygrove Road, Carlisle. Self-referral service to those living in the area. Fareshare open every Thursday morning. Call 07413258279 for more information or email hayley_thelookout@outlook.com

Community Help Affordable Food Hub (AFH) and Community Help Partners

For a set low cost, a weeks worth of food can be ordered online or by phoning the AFH, placing an order and arranging collection/pick up at a selected community organisation:

Carlisle Community Help, Unit 100, Brunthill Road, Kingstown Industrial Estate, Carlisle, CA3 0EH. Self-referral service to those living in the area. A set low cost, a weeks' worth of food can be ordered online or by phoning the Affordable Hub, placing an order and arranging collection/pickup at a selected community partner. Call 07394546877 for more information or email info@carlislecommunityhelp.co.uk

Other food provision:

Incredible Edibles, Rotary Club of Brampton and Longtown. Self-referral service. Community organisation coming together to plant trees, veg, salad and herbs which are all available to local residents.

Mealbank 108, Hebron Church 108 Botchergate, Carlisle. Self-referral service. Free 2 course meal for the homeless - Mondays 6pm. Some deliveries to families and hostels. Food support to a few families and food hampers to hostels at Festivals. Small stock of clothes and sleeping bags. Shower and laundry facilities on Monday evenings. Call 07944954900 for more information or email mealbank108@hebronec.co.uk

Distington Action Against Hunger, Distington Community Centre Church Road Distington. Self-referral service. Food pantry runs every Tuesday and delivers to Pica and Gilgarran. Call 07742387797 for more information.

Millom Foodbank, Crown Street Baptist Church Hall Millom. Referral only. Foodbank open Tuesdays and Fridays 11am to 1pm. Call 01229774601 for more information.

Purely Nutrition - PhunkyFoods, Purely Nutrition Ltd, Ground Floor West, Spracklen House, Dukes Place, Marlow, Bucks, SL7 2QH. Referral via Primary schools. The organisation supports families with delivered, low-cost meals.

Waste not want not Cartmel, 6 Pitt Garth, Haggs Lane, Cartmel. Self-referral service. Distributer of food supplies - 7 days a week. Call 07976 512487 for more information.

Flookburgh Community Food Hub, Flookburgh village hall. Self-referral service. Every Monday sharing yummy food. Call 015395 59075 for more information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Adult and Local Services, Cumbria County Council, information@cumbria.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.body
Nutritious and delicious school food for every child to thrive

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Too many children are still missing out on delicious, nutritious school food. Now is the time for reform, to realise the full potential of the school food system.

# data[].attributes.headline
Chefs in Schools: Working to transform school food and food education

# data[].attributes.subject
Chefs in Schools: Working to transform school food and food education

# data[].attributes.body
A Henry Dimbleby follow-on from the 2013 DfE School Food Plan. Contains free toolkits and resources for improving food provided at school

# data[].attributes.headline
British Dietetic Association (BDA) Healthy Packed Lunches

# data[].attributes.subject
British Dietetic Association (BDA) Healthy Packed Lunches

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Packed lunches can be easy, healthy and exciting. These tips can help you make a tasty and nutritious lunch and help you choose options from the main food groups.

# data[].attributes.headline
TastEd: Food sensory education for EYFS and primary schools

# data[].attributes.subject
TastEd: Food sensory education for EYFS and primary schools

# data[].attributes.body
Resources to help children learn to love eating vegetables and fruit for life. Supported by DfE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We offer Early Years settings a set of activities designed to give children the chance to experience new vegetables and fruits in a positive way. You can access a training video and easy to use lesson plans, meaning in no time you'll be ready to deliver TastEd in your setting.

# data[].attributes.headline
School Food Regulations 2014 legislation (known as the School Food Standards)

# data[].attributes.subject
School Food Regulations 2014 legislation (known as the School Food Standards)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Statutory Instruments

Education, England

Laid before Parliament

20th June 2014

Coming into force

1st January 2015

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 and come into force on 1st January 2015.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these Regulations-

"the Meat Products Regulations" means the Meat Products (England) Regulations 2003( 3);

"boarding school" means a school which has boarding pupils, whether or not it also has day pupils;

"confectionery" includes chewing gum, cereal bars, processed fruit bars, non-chocolate confectionery (whether or not containing sugar), chocolate in any form (except hot chocolate), any product containing or wholly or partially coated with chocolate and any chocolate-flavoured substance, but excludes cocoa powder used in cakes, biscuits and puddings or in a drink listed in group E of Schedule 1;

"food" includes drink;

"fruit juice" means a product that complies with the specification in Schedule 2 (Specification for Fruit Juice) or Schedule 3 (Specification for Fruit Juice from Concentrate) to the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (England) Regulations 2013( 4);

"governing body" includes the management committee of a pupil referral unit;

"lower fat milk" means milk the fat content of which has been reduced to not more than 1.8%;

"meat" means the skeletal muscles of mammalian and bird species recognised as fit for human consumption with naturally included or adherent tissue but does not include mechanically separated meat (which has the meaning given in point 1.14 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin)( 5);

"meat product" has the same meaning as in the Meat Products Regulations;

"oily fish" includes anchovies, herring, kipper, mackerel, pilchards, salmon, sardines, trout, tuna (but not canned tuna) and whitebait;

"portion" means an amount of a particular food provided to an individual as part of a meal;

"sandwiches" includes filled rolls and similar products which are ready to eat without further preparation;

"school lunch" means food provided for consumption by pupils as their midday meal on a school day, whether involving a set meal or the selection of items by them or otherwise;

"snacks" means pre-packaged items other than confectionery, sandwiches, cakes or biscuits which are ready to eat without further preparation and which consist of or include as a basic ingredient potato, cereals, soya, nuts, seeds, fruit or vegetables;

"transfer of control agreement" has the same meaning as in paragraph 2(7) of Schedule 13 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998;

"vegetable juice" means juice extracted from vegetables with no other substance added, except that any water extracted during concentration may be restored;

"week" means the five days from Monday to Friday;

"wholegrain" means made with or containing whole unprocessed grains.

(2) Nothing in these Regulations applies to food provided-

(a) at parties or celebrations to mark religious or cultural occasions;

(b) at fund-raising events;

(c) as rewards for achievement, good behaviour or effort;

(d) for use in teaching food preparation and cookery skills, including where the food prepared is served to pupils as part of a school lunch; or

(e) on an occasional basis by parents or pupils.

(3) For the purpose of these Regulations food is divided into the groups and sub-groups shown in Schedule 1, and any reference to a group or sub-group is a reference to one of those groups or sub-groups.

(4) Where a school is open for fewer than five days in any week the requirements in Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 which refer to the number of times food must or must not be provided by reference to a week apply as if the school were open for the whole of that week.

(5) Regulations 3, 4 and 5 do not apply to food provided in nursery schools or nursery units within primary schools.

Lunch Requirements

3.-(1) This regulation applies to a school lunch provided to-

(a) registered pupils at a maintained school or a pupil referral unit, and

(b) any other person on the school premises.

(2) The requirements set out in Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 must be complied with.

Provision of other food

4.-(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), food provided to pupils on school premises on a school day before 6 p.m. otherwise than as part of a school lunch must be provided in accordance with the requirements set out in Schedule 3 and Schedule 4.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply in relation to any part of the school premises which is under the control of a person or body other than the governing body by virtue of a transfer of control agreement.

(3) The requirements set out in paragraph 6 of Schedule 3 and paragraphs 2 to 4 of Schedule 4 do not apply in relation to confectionery, snacks, cakes or biscuits provided to pupils at a boarding school as part of an evening meal.

5.-(1) This regulation applies to food provided by a local authority or governing body to pupils on a school trip where the trip is for at least seven days.

(2) Where food is provided on a school day before 6 p.m. otherwise than as part of a school lunch, this must be provided in accordance with the requirements set out in Schedule 3 and Schedule 4.

Drinks

6. The supply of drinking water required by regulation 9(1) of the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012( 6) must be provided free of charge at all times to registered pupils on the school premises.

7. Fruit juice provided in schools must not contain any added vitamins or minerals.

8.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), drinks provided in schools must not contain any added substances other than-

(a) food additives in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on food additives(); and

(b) any substances mentioned in group E.

(2) Drinks included in sub-group E2 (combination drinks) may also contain flavourings in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on flavourings and certain food ingredients with flavouring properties for use in and on foods and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 1601/91, Regulations (EC) No 2232/96 and (EC) No 110/2008 and Directive 2000/13/EC( 8).

Milk

9.-(1) Lower fat milk and lactose reduced milk (sub-group D1) must be made available on every school day at a time during school hours.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation, "school hours" means any time during a school session or during a break between school sessions.

Nurseries

10.-(1) Subject to paragraph (2), school lunches provided in maintained nursery schools and nursery units within primary schools must comply with the requirements in Schedule 5.

(2) If at any time the requirements in Schedule 2 and Schedule 3 are complied with in respect of school lunches provided in a maintained nursery school or a nursery unit within a primary school, paragraph (1) shall not apply in relation to that school or unit.

Revocation

11. The Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007( 9) are revoked on 1st January 2015.

Regulation 2

A. Starchy food (sub-divided as shown)

A1: All types of bread, pasta, noodles, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, millet and cornmeal.

A2: All types of bread with no added fat or oil.

B. Fruit and vegetables

B1: Fruit of all types, whether fresh, frozen or dried.

Fruit canned in water or juice.

Fruit-based desserts (with a content of at least 50% fruit measured by the weight of the raw ingredients).

B2: Vegetables of all types, whether fresh, frozen or dried.

Vegetables canned in water or juice.

(sub-divided as shown)

C. Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

Meat and fish (in each case whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried), eggs, nuts, pulses and beans, other than green beans.

Other non-dairy sources of protein.

Any food containing meat together with food from groups A, B or D.

D. Milk and dairy (sub-divided as shown)

D1: Lower fat milk and lactose reduced milk.

D2: Cheese, yoghurt (including frozen), fromage frais and custard.

E. Drinks (sub-divided as shown)

E1: Plain drinks:

Plain water (still or carbonated).

Lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk.

Fruit juice or vegetable juice of no more than 150mls per portion.

Plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium.

Plain fermented milk drinks.

E2: Combination drinks of no more than 330mls per portion:

Combinations of fruit juice or vegetable juice with-

(a) plain water, in which case the fruit juice or vegetable juice must be at least 45% by volume, but no more than 150mls, and may contain vitamins and minerals;

(b) lower fat milk, lactose reduced milk or plain fermented milk drinks (in each case with or without plain water) in which case the milk or fermented milk drink must be at least 50% by volume and may contain vitamins, minerals and less than 5% added sugars or honey;

(c) plain soya, rice or oat drink (in each case with or without plain water) in which case the soya, rice or oat drink must be at least 50% by volume and may contain vitamins, minerals and less than 5% added sugars or honey.

Combinations of lower fat milk, lactose reduced milk, plain fermented milk drinks or plain soya, rice or oat drinks (in each case with or without plain water) with cocoa, in which case the lower fat milk, lactose reduced milk, fermented milk drink, soya, rice or oat drink must be at least 50% by volume and may contain vitamins, minerals and less than 5% added sugars or honey.

Flavoured lower fat milk, flavoured lactose reduced milk or flavoured soya, rice or oat drinks, in which case the lower fat milk, lactose reduced milk, soya, rice or oat drink must be at least 90% by volume and may contain vitamins, minerals and less than 5% added sugars or honey.

Tea and coffee.

Hot chocolate which may contain vitamins, minerals and less than 5% added sugars or honey.

Regulation 3

SCHEDULE 2 SCHOOL LUNCH REQUIREMENTS

Starchy food

1. One or more portions of food from sub-group A1 must be provided every day.

2. A type of bread from sub-group A2 must be available every day.

3. Three or more different foods from sub-group A1 must be provided every week, but this requirement will not be met if the different foods are provided in a single portion.

4. One or more of the portions of food from sub-group A1 that is provided every week must be wholegrain.

Fruit and vegetables

5. One or more portions of food from sub-group B2 (vegetables) must be provided every day.

6. One or more portions of food from sub-group B1 (fruit) must be provided every day.

7. A fruit-based dessert with a content of at least 50% fruit measured by volume of raw ingredients must be provided two or more times every week.

8. Three or more different foods from sub-group B1 (fruit) must be provided every week, but this requirement will not be met if the different foods are provided in a single portion.

9. At least three different foods from sub-group B2 (vegetables) must be provided every week, but this requirement will not be met if the different foods are provided in a single portion.

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

10. A portion of food from group C must be provided every day.

11. A portion of meat or poultry must be provided on three or more days every week.

12. Oily fish must be provided once or more every three weeks.

13. A portion of non-dairy sources of protein must be provided on three or more days every week.

Milk and dairy

14. A portion of food in sub-group D2 must be provided every day.

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

15. Savoury crackers or breadsticks which are served with food groups B or D may be provided as part of a school lunch.

Regulations 3, 4 and 5

SCHEDULE 3 REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD PROVIDED AS PART OF A SCHOOL LUNCH OR OTHERWISE

Starchy food

1. Food from sub-group A1 which is cooked in fat or oil must not be provided on more than two days each week.

Meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein

2.-(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), meat products may not be provided more than once each week in primary schools and twice each week in secondary schools, and where they are provided they must be provided in accordance with this paragraph.

(2) Any shaped product comprising a mixture of meat and other ingredients which is not included in the reserved descriptions specified in Schedule 2 to the Meat Products Regulations may only be provided if it complies with the meat content requirements for "Burger" in that Schedule.

(3) No meat product shall be provided if it contains any carcase part listed in regulation 6(2) of the Meat Products Regulations, subject to the exception in regulation 6(3) of those Regulations.

(4) No economy burgers as defined in Schedule 2 to the Meat Products Regulations may be provided.

(5) In respect of boarding schools, meat products may not be provided more than twice each week as part of a school lunch, and where they are provided (whether as part of a school lunch or otherwise) they must be provided in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) to (4).

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

3. No more than two portions of food that has been deep-fried, batter-coated or breadcrumb-coated may be provided each week.

4. No more than two portions of food which includes pastry may be provided each week.

5.-(1) No snacks may be provided, except for nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat.

(2) Where dried fruit is provided it must have no more than 0.5% vegetable oil as a glazing agent.

6. Confectionery must not be provided.

7. Salt must not be available to add to food after the cooking process is complete.

8. Condiments may only be available in sachets or individual portions of no more than 10 grams or one teaspoonful.

Drinks

9. The only drinks that may be provided are those in group E, except that whole milk may be provided for pupils up to the end of the school year in which they attain the age of five.

Regulations 4 and 5

SCHEDULE 4 REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD PROVIDED OTHERWISE THAN AS PART OF A SCHOOL LUNCH

Fruit and vegetables

1. Either fruit or vegetables, or both fruit and vegetables must be available in any place on the school premises where food is provided.

Foods high in fat, sugar and salt

2. Savoury crackers and breadsticks must not be provided.

3. Cakes and biscuits must not be provided.

4. Desserts must not be provided, other than-

(b) fruit-based desserts (with a content of at least 50% fruit measured by volume of raw ingredients).

Regulation 10

SCHEDULE 5 REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL LUNCHES PROVIDED AT MAINTAINED NURSERY SCHOOLS AND NURSERY UNITS WITHIN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Each day food from each of the categories (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) must be provided as part of the school lunch.

Food Category

Foods included in category

(i) Fruit and vegetables

Fruit and vegetables in all forms (whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried or in the form of juice).

(ii) Starchy foods

Bread, pasta, noodles, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, millet and cornmeal.

(iii) Meat, fish and other non-dairy sources of protein

Meat and fish in all forms (whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried) including meat or fish products, eggs, nuts, pulses and beans, other than green beans.

Other non-dairy sources of protein.

(iv) Milk and dairy

Milk, cheese, yoghurt (including frozen yoghurt and drinking yoghurt), fromage frais, milkshakes and custard.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations are made under section 114A of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and require food and drink provided to pupils in maintained schools and pupil referral units in England to comply with certain nutritional standards. Under subsection (4) of section 114A, the local authority or governing body has a duty to secure that applicable provisions of the regulations are complied with whenever they provide food or drink on, or in certain circumstances outside of, school premises. These Regulations revoke and replace the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended).

Regulation 2(2) sets out the circumstances in which these Regulations will not apply.

Regulation 2(3) and Schedule 1 divide food which is the subject of these Regulations into six groups for the purpose of the Schedules which prescribe requirements for food according to the groups. As some requirements in the Schedules refer to the frequency with which certain foods must or must not be provided by reference to weeks, regulation 2(4) provides that where a school is only open for part of the week those requirements apply as if the school were open for the whole week. Regulation 2(5) makes it clear that certain regulations do not apply to nursery schools or nursery units within primary schools.

Regulation 3 and Schedules 2 and 3 set out the requirements that must be complied with where a school lunch is provided to registered pupils at a maintained school or pupil referral unit, or any other person on the school premises.

Regulation 4 specifies that where food is provided to pupils on a school day otherwise than as part of a school lunch the requirements set out in Schedules 3 and 4 must be complied with, unless it is provided after 6pm or on a part of the premises which is controlled by another person under a transfer of control agreement. Certain requirements in Schedules 3 and 4 do not apply in relation to confectionery, snacks, cakes or biscuits that are provided as part of an evening meal to boarding school pupils.

Regulation 5 requires Schedules 3 and 4 to be complied with where food is provided before 6pm otherwise than as part of a school lunch by a local authority or governing body to pupils on a school trip that lasts for at least seven days.

Regulation 6 provides that drinking water must be provided free of charge to pupils on school premises.

Regulations 7 and 8 limit the ingredients and substances that fruit juice and other drinks provided in schools may contain.

Under Regulation 9, schools must ensure that lower fat milk is available for pupils to drink every day at a time during school hours.

Regulation 10 requires school lunches provided in maintained nursery schools and nursery units within primary schools to comply with the provisions of Schedule 5, unless they comply with Schedules 2 and 3.

Regulation 11 revokes the Education (Nutritional Standards and Requirements for School Food) (England) Regulations 2007.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These Regulations are made under section 114A of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and require food and drink provided to pupils in maintained schools and pupil referral units in England to comply with certain nutritional standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ACT NOW

Sustain are working with local authorities, food groups and food outlets from schools, to hospitals, workplaces, universities and restaurants. We need your help to stop the sugar crisis.
GET INVOLVED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out more about sugar, the effects it can have on our long term health and what you can do to reduce your sugar consumption.

# data[].attributes.body
A short video to raise awareness of ARFID

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Clinical Network

# data[].attributes.headline
Westmorland and Furness Council: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

# data[].attributes.subject
Westmorland and Furness Council: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

# data[].attributes.body
Free school holiday activities and events for children who are eligible for free school meals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Holiday activities and food (HAF) is a programme of free, fun activities for the summer holidays.

Children of families supported by benefits-related free school meals can have up to 16 days of free activities. The activities will help to:

increase self-esteem

improve wellbeing

provide information and advice on healthy eating and nutrition

Most importantly, we want your children to have some fun.

Some activity providers also have spaces available for any child, but there may be a cost to parents.
Find HAF events near you
About HAF events

We have a variety of events, they all include an activity and a nutritious meal.

Clubs and activities are run by established community groups, creative arts, sports, leisure, and youth organisations.

We have a range of providers who can offer activities for young people with additional needs. You can discuss your child's needs with the provider.

If you'd like more information please get in touch. HAF@Cumberland.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Holiday activities and food (HAF) programme

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If your child has free school meals you can find and book free childrens' activities and events in the school holidays.

# data[].attributes.body
Information and advice for schools helping to safeguard pupils living with allergy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information and advice for schools helping to safeguard pupils living with allergy.

# data[].attributes.body
Stuck for ideas for healthy packed lunches? Mix and match from these lunch box food ideas

# data[].attributes.body
Explore flexible teaching resources for both primary and secondary schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Examine the qualities and signs of positive friendships and one-to-one relationships with our new resources

These resources help students explore different ways of being a good friend and learn positive relationship behaviours, while also helping you deliver the Relationships and Sex Education and PSHE curriculums.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These resources help students explore different ways of being a good friend and learn positive relationship behaviours, while also helping you deliver the Relationships and Sex Education and PSHE curriculums.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Role of governing body in school food

The governing board are responsible for the provision of school food. As a governor you play a crucial role in creating and embedding a great school food culture.

It is the statutory responsibility of the governing body and trustees to ensure the School Food Standards are being met and Ofsted are putting a much greater focus on how schools are creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating.

A great school food culture improves children's health and academic performance. Increasing the take-up of school meals is also better for your school's finances. A half-empty dining hall - like a half-empty restaurant - is certain to lose money.

Getting more families to choose school meals requires a cultural change within your school. It means:

providing tasty food that looks good and is nutritious

creating a positive dining experience

getting the price right

allowing children to eat with their friends

and instilling a love of cooking and growing

The headteacher can lead this transformation but they also need support from their governors and leadership team.

The Department for Education recommends that all governors "work with the senior leadership team to develop a whole school food policy that sets out the school's approach to its provision of food, food education (including practical cooking), the role of the catering team as part of the wider school team and the school's strategy to increase the take-up of school lunches.

Food is a great way for your school to engage with and support your local community. You might:

reach out to community members to help your school set up cooking and gardening clubs

share an allotment with local families

invite community members in for lunch or to sell produce at school events

There are also many national and local authority initiatives which schools can access, including:

Other initiatives and programmes, to help schools transform food culture and promote healthy lifestyles, are showcased at What Works Well.

Your school has a unique role to help children learn and develop good healthy eating habits for life, creating happier, healthier adults of the future.

Ensure clarity of vision, ethos and strategic direction

You should:

ensure that school food is included within the remit of one of the governing body's committees as part of the school's wider health and wellbeing strategy

ask the senior leadership team to develop and review a whole school food policy which includes a healthy packed lunch, vending and drinks policy

check what continuing professional development training is in place for all teachers and support staff to support their knowledge of health and wellbeing

see how the lunchtime experience contributes to the culture and ethos of the school when making a school visit

have a member of the governing body attend school council and School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) meetings

ask the SNAG and school council to provide feedback on the quality and enjoyment of school food and overall lunchtime experience

Hold the headteacher to account and support leadership

You should:

work through the questions in the School Food Plan's practical guidance with your school leaders, creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating

check with the headteacher and catering manager that standards are being met across the whole school day

ask how your catering staff are supported and integrated into school life

ensure there is enough timetabling, space and practical resources (equipment, ingredients)

find out how the school budget and charging policy makes provision so all pupils can access ingredients and resources for cooking

Oversee the financial performance of the school and make sure money is well spent

You should:

obtain and review meal take up data each term

work with your senior leadership team to identify trends and issues and create a plan for increasing take up

establish what action you could take to improve the quality and take up of meals

ask the senior leadership team and business manager to review the current pupil premium sign-up system and look at good practice to help maximise registrations - you can read the free school meals guidance

ask the senior leadership team and business manager to conduct a review of the current catering contract and ensure the specification is appropriate and that the terms are being met - where they are not being met, establish what improvement action will be taken

The contract specification should include the School Food Standards, Professional Standards, food quality and lunchtime experience.

The get help buying for schools service is made up of various resources to help you buy goods and services efficiently and compliantly. This is a free advice and guidance service for state schools which could help to save you money on your existing contracts.

Useful resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The governing board are responsible for the provision of school food. As a governor you play a crucial role in creating and embedding a great school food culture. It is the statutory responsibility of the governing body and trustees to ensure the School Food Standards are being met and Ofsted are putting a much greater focus on how schools are creating a culture and ethos of healthy eating.

# data[].attributes.body
UK registered charity dedicated to raising awareness and furthering information about Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Provide individuals, parents, carers and medical professionals with up-to-date relevant information, research and support.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We are the UK's only charity dedicated to raising awareness and furthering information about ARFID. A not-for-profit, we work to provide individuals, parents, carers and medical professionals with up-to-date relevant information, research and support.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cumberland Council: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

# data[].attributes.subject
Cumberland Council: Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

# data[].attributes.body
Free school holiday activities and events for children who are eligible for free school meals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Holiday activities and food (HAF) is a programme of free, fun activities for the summer holidays funded by the Department for Education.

Children of families supported by benefits-related free school meals can have up to 16 days of free activities. The activities will help to:

increase self-esteem

improve wellbeing

provide information and advice on healthy eating and nutrition

Most importantly, we want your children to have some fun.

Some activity providers also have spaces available for any child, but there may be a cost to parents.
Find HAF events near you
About HAF events

We have a variety of events, they all include an activity and a nutritious meal.

Clubs and activities are run by established community groups, creative arts, sports, leisure, and youth organisations.

We have a range of providers who can offer activities for young people with additional needs. You can discuss your child's needs with the provider.

If you'd like more information please get in touch. HAF@Cumberland.gov.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Holiday activities and food (HAF) programme

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If your child has free school meals you can find and book free childrens' activities and events in the school holidays.

# data[].attributes.body
Treats don't have to be food, why not add a joke to your child's lunchbox to make them smile?

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Cumbrian not for profit organisation based in Maryport, offering support to families of people with hidden disabilities

# data[].attributes.body
ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) | Owl Blue

# data[].attributes.headline
Support for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

# data[].attributes.subject
Support for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These pages have been created by the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Provider Collaborative. They are for the benefit of all those living with ARFID/suspected ARFID and their carers across the region. Resources on this website have been co-produced with experts from other national services, and with those with lived experience.

What is ARFID?

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder. It is characterised by avoiding certain foods or food groups and/or restricting the amount of food eaten.

The reasons why someone may be restricting and/or avoiding their food intake varies between individuals. However, they are usually associated to one or more of the following:

Sensory-based food avoidance. This means having a very sensitive dislike to the sensory properties of food. This includes the taste, appearance, texture, temperature or smell of certain foods or food types.

A phobia or fear of the aversive consequences of eating. Such as a food-associated fear of vomiting, choking or contamination. This may have come from a negative experience (trauma) such as a sickness bug or choking episode.

Poor recognition of hunger or a poor appetite, resulting in a very low interest in eating.

You can see from this diagram that there is often more than one reason behind the food avoidance and restriction:

Although the reasons can be different, all people who develop ARFID share the same characteristic. They all avoid or restrict their food intake by reducing the overall amount eaten, by limiting the range of foods eaten, or both.

ARFID cannot be due to lack of available food or due to cultural norms. For example, you cannot have ARFID if you are fasting or choose not to eat certain foods for religious or cultural reasons.

ARFID is also different to other restrictive eating disorders in that:

A person with ARFID isn't affected by their beliefs about the size and shape of their body

A person with ARFID doesn't restrict their food intake to intentionally lose weight

If you (or your loved one) are restricting food intake due to concerns about weight, shape or body image you may need different support. If you suspect that you (or they) may be suffering from another eating disorder please contact your local GP. Other eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Your GP will be able to offer advice, guidance and signposting to the right support in your local area.

I don't have a diagnosis of ARFID. Is this information for me?

It is important to note that not all people with symptoms of avoidant eating have an ARFID diagnosis. This may be because they have concerning restricted eating which wouldn't meet the diagnostic criteria for ARFID. This is known as extreme fussy eating. Or it may be because no formal assessment has taken place.

All the content on our website provides reliable and helpful information. Reading support books, websites, self help guides and webinars for ARFID are all examples. They can all help to provide you with knowledge and strategies to approach food and eating change. You don't need a diagnosis to use these. You just need a sense that these strategies are a good fit for the symptoms that you, or your child, is experiencing.

What are the problems associated to having ARFID?

Due to the significant restriction of intake, those living with ARFID may experience*:

Weight loss

Growth delays (in children)

Hormonal changes (including a loss of periods in girls and women)

Nutritional deficiencies resulting in a range of physical health impacts

Reliance on daily micronutrient support or nutritional supplements

* this is not an exhaustive list

Both those with ARFID, and their carers, can experience:

Social isolation from feeling unable to partake in social or family activities/events, school/work or take holidays

Low mood

Anxiety associated to the impacts of ARFID. This includes worrying about eating with others, needing fixed meal times and/or types of foods and intense worry if these plans change

Financial pressure from needing to buy specific or branded food items, or from food waste

Health worry for themselves or their loved one

Understanding more about ARFID

Debunking the myths about ARFID

Myth: ARFID only affects children
ARFID is frequently believed to only impact children and adolescents. The idea of being a "picky eater'' is often associated with children. This can make it difficult to recognise and validate adults who suffer with ARFID. Although ARFID is more common, and there is more research, in children, it is not a childhood illness. ARFID can begin in childhood and continue into adulthood. A person can also transition from picky eating to ARFID at any age or developmental level. Lastly, ARFID can start at any age due to different triggers (such as trauma).

Myth: You have to be under-weight to have ARFID
It is often assumed that if you restrict your intake, you must be under-weight. However, ARFID is not an exclusively low weight eating disorder. This means that for some, weight and growth will be impacted. This is because there is a restriction in the over-all energy eaten. But for others they may be normal or over-weight. This is due to their limited range of foods containing a large amount of calories (energy). A person with ARFID can be malnourished, with micronutrient deficiencies, and yet 'look' well nourished. It is important that for those with ARFID, a judgement about severity or risk is not based only on weight.

Myth: ARFID is just picky eating.
ARFID is recognized as a mental health disorder in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). There is more to ARFID than picky eating. Picky eating is often a phase and does not produce any significant long-term consequences. With ARFID, a person avoids food to the point that their physical and psycho-social health is compromised. This is much more disruptive to a person's life than picky eating is.

Myth: It's the parents' fault
Parents do not cause ARFID. Caring for a young person with ARFID is very difficult and challenging and it is not your fault. It is true to say that there are ways of approaching the challenges of ARFID which can be more, or less, helpful . But the most important message is that the support of families is part of the solution - not part of the problem.

Myth: It's a choice - they're just being difficult
Living with ARFID is very difficult. It negatively impacts your mental health, reduces your social opportunities, and significantly impacts your physical health. People living with ARFID are not choosing to live this way, they are not being difficult and they are not to blame.

Myth: Everyone with ARFID has Autism
People with Autism often have more sensory sensitivities. This means that ARFID is more common in those with autism. However, you can have ARFID without having autism and you can have autism without having ARFID.

Tips and advice

Here you will find our 'Simple Suggestions Series': a range of resources for parents/carers, schools, adults or advice across the ages. These resources have been developed in collaboration by:

Clare Ellison, Advanced Eating Disorders Dietitian and ARFID Project Lead, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

Paola Falcoski, Advanced Eating Disorders and ARFID Dietitian, with certificate training in autism, East London NHS Foundation Trust

Ursula Philpot, Clinical Associate for North East and Yorkshire Regional Mental Health Team, InsightEating

And with input from parents/carers and patients with lived experience of ARFID.

For your child
How can schools support a child with ARFID?
Creating supportive mealtimes
Helping your child add new foods

For all ages
Strategies for planning and managing a holiday away from home

Psychoeducation Webinar series for parents and carers

This video webinar series aims to provide accessible information on a range of topics for parents and carers of children with ARFID. The series has 8 'modules' and each module is broken down into smaller bite-size videos. You can choose to watch all the modules in sequence, or simply pick the topics that most interest you, or are most relevant. It also gives you the freedom to return to any topics as often as you need. All videos include subtitles.

We understand that long resources, books, websites, and workshops can sometimes feel too much with so much else going on. So, if you need information quickly and easily - this small series is created for busy parents with little spare time!
To access subtitles on these recordings, please turn these on using the YouTube video functions.
Module 2 - Understanding ARFID more
Neurodiversity in ARFID
Understanding safety behaviours in ARFID
How does a limited diet maintain ARFID?
Understanding hunger and fullness
Recovery limiting behaviours
ARFID can lead to other eating disorders

Module 3 - Supporting a helpful environment
The occupational therapy role
Physical and environmental factors
The food environment
The meal time environment
Routines and timetables
Mealtimes for children with autism
Co-regulation and reducing negative associations

Module 4 - Understanding the role of the senses
Mealtimes as a sensory experience
Understanding interoception
The senses
Over responsivity and under responsivity
Messy play

Module 6 - Communication skills and parenting style
The family are not to blame
Helpful and less helpful things to do
Additional tips for very young children
Starting a conversation with your child
Parental expectations of change
Managing anxiety

Module 8 - Getting help
Starting a conversation with schools and services
Supporting your own mental health
What do I do if it's not working?

Content created by:
Clare Ellison, Advanced Eating Disorders Dietitian, ARFID Project Lead for the North East and North Cumbria Provider Collaborative, BEAT Dietetic Clinical Advisor and British Dietetic Association ARFID Committee Member. Clare has extensive clinical eating disorder experience in working with adults, and children and young people and their families. Clare has also developed ARFID clinical practice guidelines, extensive resources, and delivers training and supervision.

Ursula Philpot, Consultant Eating Disorders Dietitian at InsightEating, Clinical Associate with the North East and Yorkshire Regional Mental Health Team, Senior Lecturer with Leeds Beckett University and British Dietetic Association ARFID Committee Member. Ursula has extensive clinical experience in working with children and adults with eating disorders, including ARFID. She has also delivered regional ARFID staff training, worked on ARFID developments nationally with NHS-England, has developed an ARFID clinical Champions programme and provides supervision.

Tara Tordoff, Advanced Paediatric Occupational Therapist at the Great North Children's Hospital (Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). Tara has worked in both hospital and community settings and was involved in delivering training for the 'Sensational Thinking Project'. This delivered education to families, schools and professionals involved in the care of children with sensory processing differences. Tara is very passionate about helping families to support and identify difficulties within feeding and food handling, such as in those with ARFID.

Nicole McCook, Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist at the Great North Children's Hospital (Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust). Nicole has worked in both hospital and community settings and has recently co-established food play groups. Nicole is currently working on a child development project on preparation for feeding. She is interested and very passionate about helping families to support and identify difficulties within feeding and food handling, such as in those with ARFID.

Dr Hannah Harvey, Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist with Durham and Darlington Children's Eating Disorders Team. Hannah has extensive clinical experience working with Children with mental health difficulties and eating disorders services. She has also worked with the children and young people's autism assessment team. Hannah is highly skilled at adapting psychological interventions for young people with Autism and has ARFID service development experience.

Where can I find more self-help material?

The South Yorkshire Eating Disorders Association (SYEDA) has an ARFID self-help course for individuals (adults) struggling with the symptoms of ARFID. You can move through the 4-step programme at your own pace, and it includes:

1. Learning about ARFID and making some early changes

2. Continuing early changes and setting big goals

3. Facing your fears

4. Preventing relapse

It can be found on the South Yorkshire Eating Disorder Association website

Written self-help material for young people or their parents/carers is available in the modules from Be Body Positive. These include information as well as practical suggestions to support your journey. It can be found on the Be Body Positive website

For teenagers with co-occurring autism, The Autistic Teens Avoidant Eating Workbook by Elizabeth Shea is available to buy. This is a guide designed to help you recognise the signs of avoidant eating, cope with food related anxieties and manage sensory overload. It also supports through the particular social stresses of communal eating. the book includes top tips, a progress tracker, quizzes and worksheets.

Longer webinar videos for parents/carers are available to watch from Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (Wales). They present slides with talking but without subtitles. Available from the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board website(nhs.wales)

Where can I find further reading and information on ARFID?

The ARFID Awareness UK website includes information and resources. The site shop also includes options to purchase cards which help inform schools and restaurants about the disorder.

A range of books is also available including:

ARFID Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: A guide for parents & carers by Rachel Bryant-Waugh

Helping your child with extreme picky eating by Katja Rowell & Jenny McGlothlin

The picky eater's recovery book by Jennifer Thomas

Can't eat, won't eat by Brenda Legge

This Instagram account helps to understand support through food chaining: @feedingpickyeaters

Is there any information specific to younger children?

The Sensory Oral Sequential, known as the SOS approach to feeding offers a two hour parent education seminar. It is delivered by expert Dr Kay Toomey who leads on SOS feeding and is available on the SOS website.

Additionally, this toolkit is a fun free way to help avoidant, picky, and fussy eaters: www.sensoryplaytoolkit.weebly.com

Are there any forums to support me with my ARFID symptoms?

Are there any face-to-face ARFID carers support groups available?

A free in-person ARFID carers support Group is available in Teeside. The sessions are held monthly at Make Believe, Cromwell Street, Hartlepool TS24 7LR. For more information on the sessions please contact Katie Jones on 07504 420 412 or email [email protected]

You do not need to be from Teeside to attend. There is also a Teesside ARFID parent/carer facebook group

Owl Blue is a registered charity based in West Cumbria that provides free support to individuals and families affected by, or suspected of having, neurodivergent conditions. The organization hosts a free ARFID support group monthly, which is held locally in Maryport and called "Owl Blue ARFID Friends Support." Interested individuals can access the organisation's private Facebook page or they can contact Owl Blue on 0800 755 5432 or [email protected]

Where can I find more information on sensory difficulties?

Is there any support for Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)?

'Demand avoidance' involves not being able to do certain things at certain times. This is a normal human trait. Avoiding demand is something we all do to varying amounts and for different reasons. This means it is on a spectrum. More significant demand avoidance can be due to a wide variety of reasons.

Autistic people may more often avoid demands that trigger anxiety or sensory overload, or which disrupt routines. These demands may cause them to refuse, withdraw, 'shutdown' or escape to avoid these things.

Pathological demand avoidance is all-encompassing. It has some unique aspects including avoiding everyday demands simply because they are demands.

If you feel that you, or a loved one, may be struggling with demand avoidance or you wish to find our more, the following pages offer further information:
PDA Society - Pathological Demand Avoidance National Autistic Society - Demand avoidance

It's not working! Where do I go?

Sometimes, despite your very best efforts you may find that the restrictive eating is worsening.

If you are concerned about the health, growth and development of yourself, or your child, please visit your local GP (or health visitor). They will be able to offer advice and signposting to the appropriate local service(s) in your area.

If there is a sudden and rapid restriction in food or fluids that has led to sudden deterioration in physical health please seek help quickly. This may include contacting NHS-111 or emergency care services. Sudden deterioration is often as a result of a traumatic event leading to a rapid avoidance of food and/or fluids.

If there is a sudden deterioration in mental health, or you are concerned about mental health risks, please contact your local crisis or emergency care services. Mental health risks include, but are not exclusive to, suicide and self harm.

If you wish to contact a helpline you can do so via the BEAT Helpline on: 0808 801 0677 Available Monday-Friday 9am-8pm, and weekends 4-8pm.
Please note that this is not an emergency care service.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Support for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These pages have been created by the North East and North Cumbria (NENC) Provider Collaborative. They are for the benefit of all those living with ARFID/suspected ARFID and their carers across the region. Resources on this website have been co-produced with experts from other national services, and with those with lived experience.

# data[].attributes.body
A resource for schools produced by NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board and ARFID Awareness

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting Children with Sensory Processing needs

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting Children with Sensory Processing needs

# data[].attributes.body
Scan the QR code to follow the link to your area