Jewish leaders hail Ofsted reforms putting parents and SEND at the centre
PaJeS says reform could boost Jewish schools by strengthening parental partnerships and support for vulnerable pupils
Ofsted has confirmed sweeping reforms to how nurseries, schools, and colleges are inspected, introducing new report cards, a five-point grading scale and a sharper focus on inclusion, parental engagement, and staff wellbeing.
From November, parents will receive clearer and more detailed information, with schools graded from “urgent improvement” through to a new top category of “exceptional.” The changes follow Ofsted’s largest ever consultation, which drew more than 6,500 responses.
The new framework also introduces a specific grade for inclusion, assessing provision for disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and pupils known to social care. Early years settings will be inspected more frequently, while schools requiring improvement will face follow-up visits to ensure progress is made.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: “Children deserve the best possible education; their parents deserve the best possible information, and education professionals deserve to have their work fairly assessed by experts. The changes we are presenting today aim to achieve all three of these things.”
Rabbi David Meyer, Chief Executive of PaJeS, welcomed the reforms “with cautious optimism.” He said: “It has the potential to be highly beneficial for schools, providing clearer insights to all stakeholders about performance and identifying specific areas for improvement.
“We are especially pleased to see the enhanced focus on SEND provision and parental engagement. This emphasis is significant given recent JLC research highlighting the crucial role parents play in shaping children’s Jewish identity. The framework’s recognition that parents have an essential role in their children’s education underlines our perspective of the importance of educational partnerships.”
Jason Elsom, Chief Executive of Parentkind, the UK’s largest parent charity, added: “Ofsted has shown that it is listening to parents… no school will be able to achieve top marks unless it demonstrates that it has got (parental engagement) right. This is a significant step forward.”
The reforms will take effect from 10 November 2025 for early years, state-funded schools, and further education providers, with independent schools and teacher education to follow in January 2026.
Jewish schools are expected to adapt alongside others, with PaJeS pledging to work closely with headteachers to support the transition.
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