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27 August 2026

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Ofsted report cards: What have nine months taught us?

Trends emerge for FE and skills under the inspectorate’s new assessment regime

Anviksha Patel

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6 min read
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We’re days away from the new academic year, and a return to work means fresh Ofsted inspections. So what have nine months of the inspectorate’s new report card regime revealed?

From November to July, 279 full inspections of FE and skills providers were published, with the five-point grading system applied across up to 16 individual evaluation areas.

Independent training providers (ITPs) accounted for 209 (75 per cent) of inspections, while general FE colleges made up just 5 per cent with 14 inspected. The rest was split between employer providers, independent specialist colleges, local authority providers and higher education institutions.

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