Grade descriptors tell you what Ofsted says it is looking for. Insights tells you what inspectors have actually written when they awarded each grade — synthesised across every report in the dataset, for each of the six inspection categories.
What does "Strong" actually look like in practice?
This is the question the tool exists to answer. For any combination of inspection category and grade, it produces a synopsis of the evidence inspectors cited when they reached that judgement — the practices that recur, the phrasing that recurs, and what tends to be present or absent at that level.
Read across two adjacent grades and the boundary between them becomes far more concrete than any descriptor makes it, which is usually the more actionable comparison.
Which categories are covered?
All six inspection categories under the November 2025 framework, for primary, secondary and special schools. Because the synopses are generated per sector, what you read for a special school reflects special school inspections rather than an average across all schools.
How are the synopses produced?
They are AI-generated from the text of published inspection reports at each grade, then cached. They summarise the published evidence base — they are not Ofsted guidance, and they are not a substitute for reading the framework itself.
Insights is available to subscribers
Full access is £49 a year for your school, including three users. Additional users from £15 a year each. A free account gives you the core data views and the weekly email digest.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six Ofsted inspection categories under the new framework?
The November 2025 framework grades schools across six separate categories rather than issuing a single overall effectiveness grade. Insights provides a synopsis for every grade in every one of those categories, per sector.
Is this official Ofsted guidance?
No. Ofsted Insights is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Ofsted. The synopses are generated from published inspection reports and represent an analysis of what inspectors wrote, not guidance from Ofsted.