17/10/2025
Big Ofsted Changes Are Coming - Here’s Why They Matter More Than Ever
Back when I worked firmly IN both primary and secondary education (not on the edges), the word Ofsted would usually send the whole building into a spin. You’d see people sprinting down corridors, falling down displays being held up with goodwill, and a sudden urge for everyone to wear their best 'I'm calm but don't speak to me' face.
I even remember once being asked to essentially try and stay 10 steps ahead of the Inspector and pre-warn panic-stricken teachers as to their next move like it was some great big game of chess.
It shouldn't be like this!
But now, something big is coming. From November 2025, Ofsted is changing its tune, and let's hope it's for the better. It looks like it could be.
Instead of the usual tunnel vision on grades and test scores, inspections are now expected to put pupil wellbeing, inclusion, attendance, and safeguarding front and centre.
Hoorah! Because you know what, those were areas I was involved in and all I can say is 'It's about blooming time!'
❗Why Wellbeing is No Longer Optional❗
The facts are clear and have been for too long. More young people than ever are struggling with mental health, anxiety, and showing up for school at all.
- 1 in 5 children now has a probable mental health disorder.
- Over 170,000 students are severely absent
- 60% of teens miss school due to anxiety
- Staff stress is at an all-time high
Schools are trying to hold it all together with stretched teams, limited funding, and rising expectations. This really is the perfect storm. However, the shift in the new framework is a powerful step in recognising that children can’t learn if they’re not feeling OK.
Sir Martyn Oliver from HMCI (Ofsted) put it well. He said, 'If schools get it right for the most vulnerable…they get it right for all pupils.'
And that really is the heart of it. Connection and Culture over Correction and Control.
❓What’s Actually Changing in the 2025 Ofsted Framework?
✅ No more single-word judgements. Out with 'Inadequate'. It's now replaced with a 5-point report card. Not sure how I feel about report card as a name but when I think of Ruth Perry, anything has to be better than a single word grade!
✅ Wellbeing & Inclusion are standalone areas of inspection demonstrating a clear focus on these areas.
✅ Attendance will consider context. Not soon enough. I've worked with students that WANT to be in school, and I've previously had battles with schools coding students incorrectly because 'it makes us look better' - OK, at what cost to the individual? Are you identifying what's actually going on? That should get addressed now.
✅ Safeguarding gets clearer, graded across six key areas, as it should.
✅ Staff wellbeing is officially on the radar (finally). There's only so many times an extra pack of biscuits in the staff room or 'fill out the survey' works. Some schools are doing amazing things for staff. Now it can be recognised and for those that could do more, a chance to do something about it. Our staff need support too.
Ofsted claims this isn’t about ticking new boxes, but about building the kind of environments where every young person feels safe, seen and supported.
And please, we pray and keep our fingers crossed that this will be the case.
🌈 So Where Does Coaching Fit In? 🌈
I had to link it in, right? Let's be honest, I’m not here to sell magic wands, but let you know what works from my perspective.
I’ve seen first-hand over the years how coaching can benefit young people, although schools are highly stretched to provide it at the level required.
More recently, having become an NLP practitioner, I've seen how NLP-based coaching can really help schools support students with anxiety, disengagement, low confidence, and tricky transitions, sometimes in just a few sessions.
It’s forward-focused, non-stigmatising, and way more accessible than waiting for external services or CAMHS where a child could have left school before they even enter the system properly. *Caveat, I'm not saying I replace CAMHS, but as one parent put it, 'You're the glue holding us together til we can actually get there'.
Think of it as:
✅ A space for students to find their voice
✅ A tool to help staff avoid burnout
✅ A bridge between 'they’re struggling' and 'they’re back on track'
Coaching doesn't replace counselling or pastoral care, nor should it. It's there to work alongside school systems and add capacity in an already overstretched system.
💥 Let’s Be Real 💥
You can have the best curriculum, the flashiest displays, and still lose pupils to anxiety, disconnection, or chaos at home. I've seen it first hand.
The schools that thrive are the ones that make space for the messy stuff, that don’t see wellbeing as a bolt-on (I personally think it's front and centre of everything else), and that know success isn’t just about grades. It’s about growing humans, not matter whether they're tiny or tower over you.
If you want to talk about how NLP coaching could fit into your school (without adding pressure or cost overload), drop me a message. Happy to share my white paper or just have a chat.
🌱Let’s build schools where everyone thrives...staff included 🌱
