Curriculum conversations during inspections are already looking different. Inspectors are digging into how knowledge is introduced, revisited, and adapted - and how teaching works for every learner, not just those who pick things up quickly.

Now that the new EIF is live, the old comfort blanket of a single overall judgement has disappeared. Instead, schools receive a profile across multiple evaluation areas, each graded from Exceptional to Urgent Improvement. It creates a fairer picture but demands much clearer evidence.

The new EIF is officially live, and Inclusion is already proving to be the area schools feel most exposed in. Inspectors want to see how consistently staff remove barriers, how leaders know what’s happening in classrooms, and how schools track the difference this makes for pupils who face disadvantage or additional needs.

Is Teacher Wellbeing Being Neglected in the Pursuit of the Perfect Score? As a former teacher myself, I know all too well the immense...