Leaders fear schools will be tempted to exclude pupils who are less likely to hit top grades so they can score highly in Ofsted鈥檚 new 鈥渁chievement鈥 evaluation. has said 鈥渋nclusion鈥 will be a key focus of its new framework, with schools to be judged on a standalone 鈥渋nclusion鈥 area. But Jonny Uttley, the chief executive of the TEAL trust who led an inclusion study for the Centre for Young Lives charity, said this was offset by the achievement judgment being 鈥渉eavily geared towards achievement above-average鈥. Jonny Uttley For instance, the Ofsted toolkit states to achieve a 鈥渟trong standard鈥 grade, pupils 鈥 including those with SEND 鈥 must 鈥渃onsistently achieve well, develop detailed knowledge and skills, and produce high-quality work across the curriculum鈥. 鈥淭ypically, this achievement will be reflected in above-average outcomes in national tests and examinations over time, including for disadvantaged pupils,鈥 it adds. To hit the top 鈥渆xceptional鈥 grade, 鈥渆xceptionally high standards of achievement鈥 must be 鈥渟ustained鈥. This will be reflected in 鈥渃onsistently high outcomes鈥 in national tests and exams. Uttley told Schools Week: 鈥淭o do really well on 鈥榓chievement鈥, [a school] would have to be performing above-average 鈥 so there’s an incentive to curate your roll.鈥 ‘You could continue to curate the school roll’ Schools could find it easier to achieve higher grades for inclusion and achievement if they had fewer pupils with EHCPs, he said. The new framework also fails to account for 鈥渟ubtle versions鈥 of off-rolling. 鈥淎 school could turn away children with new EHCPs鈥hey could have lots of kids going into elective home education, lots of kids leaving on suspensions, exclusions, managed moves鈥nd still score highly on inclusion. 鈥淵ou could continue to curate the school roll, and then do a really good job for the kids who actually come to school.鈥 An independent wellbeing report, commissioned by Ofsted, found stakeholders were concerned the new framework would affect 鈥渟election at the point of entry to a school鈥. This would 鈥渋ncrease the incentive for 鈥榗ream-skimming鈥 in the sector鈥, and leave schools committed to inclusivity 鈥渨ith an ever more challenging intake鈥. At a press briefing on Monday Lee Owston, Ofsted鈥檚 national director for education, refuted this, saying: 鈥淭here is no tension between inclusion and achievement.鈥 He said achievement 鈥渋s around national outcomes鈥 but 鈥渋s also about broader outcomes鈥. 鈥淔or those children with SEND, that can be about their preparation for adulthood and the opportunities they may have for training and employment.鈥 Ofsted ‘missed a trick’ Kiran Gill, the chief executive and founder of The Difference, also welcomed Ofsted鈥檚 expanded definition of inclusion 鈥渢o acknowledge poverty and safeguarding concerns鈥, as well as SEND. But she said Ofsted had 鈥渕issed a trick鈥 in 鈥渘ot taking a data-led approach to inclusion accountability鈥. 鈥淚nclusion is measurable by students鈥 wellbeing and belonging, and by levels of absence from class鈥nd sanctions,鈥 she said. Ofsted must also 鈥減rovide a clearer definition of what constitutes 鈥榠nclusive practices鈥欌. Caroline Barlow and Keziah Featherstone, co-chairs of the Headteachers Roundtable, said the creation of a standalone judgment for inclusion 鈥渞uns counter to the widespread understanding across the system that this should be an embedded design principle for schools, not a separate consideration鈥. However, Owston and Adam Sproston, senior inspector for SEND, have previously said inclusion 鈥渨ill also be a golden thread that run through all evaluation areas鈥. The toolkits suggest inspectors must look for inclusive practice when assessing other areas. But Uttley said Ofsted 鈥渉as missed the key point鈥, with inclusion 鈥渁lmost bolted on to each section鈥.
Kevin Parker 16 September 2025 What kind of monster of an education system have we created when a reputable source like Schools Week can start an article with a statement that leaders believe schools will be tempted to exclude pupils who are unlikely to make the grades to support the highest 鈥榓chievement鈥 judgement of the new inspection framework. The sadness is further deepened when experience suggests the Schools Week article is absolutely correct. Why is it that more politicians, more professionals and more journalists are not enraged that such a comment can even be published, let alone evidenced as true for decades. So much is written about integrity and values-based school leadership, yet in the same system we read about schools being tempted to exclude pupils for the shameful reason that they might not make the grades. Let鈥檚 not gang up on the Chief Inspector of Schools for a less than perfect framework, when he has had to introduce it in an education landscape that has for many years eroded its own value base through party political pressure and abrasive populist policies. Campaigners for greater inclusion in schools, like Thomas Keaney at TCES (no exclusions in 25 years), are not alone in demanding real change. I have worked with Academy Trusts such as Reach South, Unity Schools Partnership and the independent/not for profit sector including NAS, Aurora, Phoenix Bay and others, who are demonstrating great integrity with their drive for Inclusion, but remain thwarted by the pressures of success being measured in such narrow terms as they have been. At least now inclusion is a key indicator of schools鈥 success and central when recognising truly courageous leaders. Whether the judgement is termed Exemplary or Exceptional doesn鈥檛 really matter one jot鈥︹.let鈥檚 just value it and applaud it! Thank you Ofsted for raising the profile of inclusion as a small step on the path to ensuring I never read again that schools might be tempted to exclude pupils for anything other than the most serious reasons and only as an attempt to offer further support and more appropriate resources for the excluded pupil鈥︹hat is very unlikely to be true if they are simply not going to make target grades! I sincerely hope that I am not alone to feel a little ashamed to have read those words in your article.