Michael Gove’s messianic belief that poverty should be no excuse for poor school results was one of his defining messages as education secretary. Fifteen years on, this powerful narrative continues to shape our education policies 鈥� and we are still paying the price. Try telling today鈥檚 frontline teachers that a school’s context has no impact on what they can achieve in the classroom. Serving communities ravaged by poverty and mounting mental health challenges, teachers juggle many roles 鈥� social worker, family mentor, crisis responder 鈥� all before they鈥檝e even started their lesson. For too long, these realities have seemed invisible to those in the Westminster bubble. As a result, our inspection and accountability system has judged schools too harshly. Gove鈥檚 Law states that recognising that some children face greater barriers to learning inevitably leads to a 鈥�soft bigotry of low expectations鈥�. This law is flawed; the only bigotry has been to hold schools solely responsible for solving all society鈥檚 ills amid widening inequities. Not only has this been unfair to teachers, it hasn鈥檛 worked. For all the tough talk, achievement gaps between education鈥檚 haves and have-nots have remained stark, widening on many measures. That鈥檚 why the proposed education inspection framework marks such a watershed moment. It puts equity and excellence side by side at the heart of inspection. It challenges teachers to have the highest standards for all their pupils, not just those from better-off homes. It promises to celebrate practitioners performing heroic jobs in tough circumstances, when in the past they have been slammed for it. It introduces a standalone category for inclusion and asks explicitly how well schools are supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is not a dilution of standards. It鈥檚 a long-overdue rebalancing of how we define and recognise great teaching. As Sir Martyn Oliver has put it: 鈥淚f providers are getting it right for disadvantaged children, they will undoubtedly be getting it right for their non-disadvantaged peers.鈥� A lack of clarity would be a fundamental flaw Inclusive schools are strong schools 鈥� for everyone. This principle lies at the heart of teh south west social mobility commission’s work on the , a self-evaluation tool for schools that empowers schools to reflect on their equitable practice in the classroom and in their parent and community partnerships. But to make its new vision real for the entire sector, Ofsted鈥檚 new framework will need to be crystal-clear about what inclusive and equitable practice looks like. A lack of clarity here would be a fundamental flaw, leading to different interpretations and unfair variations in inspection processes and outcomes. In our response to the inspectorate鈥檚 consultation, informed by our work on the equity scorecard, we try to spell out exactly how this practice could be defined. Crucially, no school should be rated 鈥榮trong鈥� in any area unless it can demonstrate great practice with all its pupils facing additional material and cultural barriers to learning. Ofsted could go even further than its current proposals, setting out what 鈥榮ecure鈥� and 鈥榮trong鈥� inclusive practice looks like in each of its inspection areas, and only giving these ratings if this inclusive practice is met. Inspectors must also be encouraged to understand local contexts. This means considering the efforts schools are making to support pupils with specific barriers that might go beyond standard pupil premium (and special needs) markers 鈥� like poor access to transport or stretched social support services. Yes, our inspection regime should demand the highest expectations for all our pupils. But previous regimes rewarded schools serving more affluent areas 鈥� even when their learners from disadvantaged backgrounds lagged significantly behind. High expectations must mean recognising students鈥� progress from their varied starting points and their diverse aspirations, as well as the full range of their talents, be they academic, vocational or creative. Recognising disadvantage in schools is not about making excuses. It鈥檚 about giving teachers the right support, tools and accountability to drive up standards. This is Ofsted鈥檚 chance to help level the educational playing field. Focusing on inclusion and equity is the right ambition. But it must be clearly defined so that we all pull in the same direction. Read the South West Social Mobility Commission鈥檚 response to the proposed new education inspection framework