Ofsted self-evaluation: how to write a SEF for the report card framework

Reviewed by Ben Parnell, former headteacher and trust chief executive. Last reviewed 25 September 2026.

Ofsted does not require a written self-evaluation, and it does not prescribe a format for one. What it does want, on the planning call, is to hear leaders' own view of the school's strengths and priorities, including where they think the school sits on the 5-point grading scale in each evaluation area. A short self-evaluation built around the toolkit is the easiest way to have that view ready, tested and shared with governors before the call comes.

Free download: a self-evaluation template with a page for every evaluation area and safeguarding, set out on the 5-point scale, Ofsted report card self-evaluation template (Word). No sign-up needed.

Does Ofsted require a self-evaluation form?

No. The inspection information for state-funded schools, for use from September 2026, is direct about it: "We do not expect schools to have completed any formal self-evaluation using the toolkit. Leaders will not be at a disadvantage if they do not have a written self-evaluation."

The same guidance says Ofsted does not expect leaders to produce written evidence against each standard in each evaluation area, and does not expect a presentation or any additional documents about the school or its context. The toolkit itself says inspectors do not need information in any specific format, and that producing documents specifically for inspection would create unnecessary workload.

A self-evaluation form is also not on the list of documents schools must make available by 8am on the first day. That list asks for anything setting out school improvement priorities or the longer-term vision, governance minutes, and reports from any external evaluation. If your self-evaluation is part of how you run the school, it can sit alongside those. If it exists only for Ofsted, it is extra work the framework does not ask for.

So why write one? Because inspectors will ask for the thinking even if they do not ask for the document. The toolkit's own cover says it "can also be used by leaders to support self-evaluation and continuous improvement", and several of its standards turn on whether leaders understand their school accurately.

How is self-evaluation used on the planning call?

The planning call is normally a video call on the day of notification, in three parts. The second part is about the school's context and leaders' priorities. The operating guide tells inspectors to discuss:

the school's context, including changes since the last inspection
leaders' recent priorities and challenges, what they have done and how they have assessed the impact
leaders' evaluation of the school's strengths and successes, and their priorities for improvement, including where they believe they currently sit on the 5-point grading scale for each evaluation area
any relevant safeguarding matters, as identified by leaders

Inspectors then plan day one with leaders around three aims taken straight from the guidance: to celebrate what leaders have identified as strengths, to validate the priorities leaders have identified for improvement and whether there is an effective plan, and to highlight where there is more to do so that all pupils achieve, belong and thrive.

Your self-evaluation shapes the inspection. Where you say an area is strong, inspectors plan activity to check it. Where you name a priority, they look at whether your plan is working. The notification call guide covers the rest of that call.

How does it matter during the two days?

At the reflection meeting around lunchtime on day one, inspectors discuss how the emerging evidence aligns with leaders' self-evaluation. Focused leadership meetings and learning walks are described in the operating guide as helping to "validate the leaders' self-evaluation."

At the end of day one, if inspectors have reliable evidence of a secure fit in an evaluation area and leaders agree, they may give an indicative grade and stop gathering direct evidence in that area. The guidance says this is likely where the evidence "aligns with the leaders' self-evaluation against the grading standards." An accurate self-evaluation can therefore free inspection time for the areas where there is more to explore.

What are you evaluating against?

Every school is evaluated in six areas, plus early years and post-16 where the school has them:

inclusion
curriculum and teaching
achievement
attendance and behaviour
personal development and wellbeing
leadership and governance
early years (where applicable)
post-16 provision (where applicable)

Each is graded on five points: urgent improvement, needs attention, expected standard, strong standard and exceptional. Safeguarding is judged separately as met or not met. Our guides to the evaluation areas and report card grades cover each in more depth.

The grading logic is worth building into your self-evaluation. Inspectors start from the expected standard. If every expected standard is met, that is a secure fit, and they ask whether every strong standard is also met. Only then do they look for the additional evidence that defines exceptional. If any expected standard is not met, the area is likely to be needs attention, or urgent improvement if any of the urgent improvement indicators apply. Minor inconsistencies can produce next steps without lowering a grade.

In practice, that means your self-evaluation should work through the expected standard first, line by line, before making any case for strong.

What structure works for each evaluation area?

A consistent structure per area keeps the document short and makes it easy to talk from. For each area, try five headings.

Where we think we are. One grade on the 5-point scale, and one sentence on why.
What the expected standard asks, and how we know we meet it. Take the expected standard for that area from the toolkit and note the evidence you would point to: what inspectors would see on a learning walk, what pupils would say, what your own analysis shows. Evidence you already hold is enough.
Strengths we would want inspectors to see. Be specific about where and in which year groups or subjects, so that inspectors can plan to see them.
Priorities and what we are doing about them. What is not yet right, what you have done, and how you are checking impact. The toolkit's exceptional descriptors include the line that there are "no significant areas for improvement that leaders have not already prioritised", which tells you how much weight inspectors put on leaders naming their own weaknesses.
Groups of pupils. How disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, pupils known or previously known to children's social care, and those facing other barriers experience this area. The toolkit names these groups again and again across the evaluation areas.

A few notes on specific areas.

Inclusion

The toolkit frames this around how leaders and staff identify and support those four groups of pupils. Write about identification as well as support: inspectors are told to explore how staff identify pupils' needs even where leaders report having none of these pupils on roll. The inclusion guide goes further.

Curriculum and teaching

The expected standard begins with leaders having "an accurate and informed understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school." One of the urgent improvement indicators is that leaders' understanding of the quality of the curriculum or teaching is inaccurate. Accuracy is part of the grade here.

Achievement

This covers attainment and progress in national tests and examinations where relevant, and progress across the curriculum from pupils' starting points. You do not need to supply predictions of attainment and progress scores or pupil-tracking information, and Ofsted says so. Use what you already know about published outcomes and what pupils know and can do.

Attendance and behaviour

The expected standard includes leaders and staff having "an informed and accurate understanding of matters related to attendance, behaviour and attitudes." Your self-evaluation should draw on the same analysis you will hand over on day one: attendance for all groups, suspensions, exclusions and behaviour logs. See the attendance and behaviour guide.

Personal development and wellbeing

The toolkit looks at the personal development programme through the curriculum and wider opportunities, preparation for later life, wellbeing, and pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Name what pupils actually take part in and how you know it reaches the pupils who need it most.

Leadership and governance

One of the factors the toolkit lists is leaders "having a reflective understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development." Under governance, inspectors consider whether governors or trustees assure themselves that leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's context and are prioritising the right actions. Share the self-evaluation with governors and be ready for them to talk about it. The leadership and governance guide and governor questions help here.

Safeguarding

Keep this to met or not met, with a short note on culture, recent casework themes and any allegations about adults. Inspectors are told to look beyond documents and statutory compliance to the culture over time. The safeguarding guide covers what they check.

How long should a SEF be, and when should you update it?

There is no required length. Ofsted's guidance points away from long documents: no written evidence against every standard, no presentation. A version that fits a page or two per area, which the headteacher can talk from without notes, tends to be more useful than a long narrative. Update it when your evidence changes, for example after results, after a governance review or at the end of each term, and keep it tied to your improvement plan so the two do not drift.

For trusts, a shared template across schools helps central teams compare, provided each school's version stays honest about its own context. Our guide for trust leaders covers the trust's role on inspection.

Where InspectReady fits in

InspectReady is an inspection preparation platform with expert support for primary and secondary schools and trusts, and its pre-inspection report looks across the evaluation areas. Whatever tool you use, the test is the same: could you defend each grade you have given yourself on the planning call?

Frequently asked questions

Is a SEF compulsory for Ofsted? No. Ofsted's inspection information says it does not expect schools to have completed any formal self-evaluation using the toolkit, and that leaders will not be at a disadvantage without a written one. It also does not need information in any specific format.

Will inspectors ask for our self-evaluation? It is not on the list of documents schools must provide by 8am on day one. What inspectors will do, on the planning call, is ask for leaders' evaluation of strengths and priorities, including where they believe the school sits on the 5-point scale in each evaluation area.

Should the SEF give a grade for each evaluation area? It helps, because the planning call asks for exactly that. Work through the expected standard first, then the strong standard, and only then the exceptional descriptors, which mirrors how inspectors reach a grade.

Does self-evaluation affect the grades? Inspectors grade on the evidence they gather. The guidance says they use leaders' self-evaluation to plan activity and discuss how emerging evidence aligns with it, and an indicative grade may be agreed early where evidence of a secure fit aligns with leaders' self-evaluation.

Is there an official Ofsted SEF template for 2026? Ofsted does not require a particular format. The toolkit says it can be used by leaders to support self-evaluation, so it makes sense to organise your own around its evaluation areas and grading standards.

How should safeguarding appear in a self-evaluation? Safeguarding is judged as met or not met, not on the 5-point scale. A short note on your safeguarding culture and how you keep it under review is usually enough, alongside any safeguarding matters leaders would raise on the planning call.

Sources

Inspection information for state-funded schools: for use from September 2026, GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information/inspection-information-for-state-funded-schools-for-use-from-september-2026
School inspection operating guide for inspectors: for use from September 2026, GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information/school-inspection-operating-guide-for-inspectors-for-use-from-september-2026
State-funded school inspection toolkit, updated June 2026 (v2.0), for use from 7 September 2026, GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a915d1c01bbff0bf8f97b51/Schools_inspection_toolkit.pdf
School inspection: toolkit, operating guides and information, GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-toolkit-operating-guide-and-information

Questions school leaders ask

Is a SEF compulsory for Ofsted?: No. Ofsted's inspection information says it does not expect schools to have completed any formal self-evaluation using the toolkit, and that leaders will not be at a disadvantage without a written one. It also does not need information in any specific format.
Will inspectors ask for our self-evaluation?: It is not on the list of documents schools must provide by 8am on day one. What inspectors will do, on the planning call, is ask for leaders' evaluation of strengths and priorities, including where they believe the school sits on the 5-point scale in each evaluation area.
Should the SEF give a grade for each evaluation area?: It helps, because the planning call asks for exactly that. Work through the expected standard first, then the strong standard, and only then the exceptional descriptors, which mirrors how inspectors reach a grade.
Does self-evaluation affect the grades?: Inspectors grade on the evidence they gather. The guidance says they use leaders' self-evaluation to plan activity and discuss how emerging evidence aligns with it, and an indicative grade may be agreed early where evidence of a secure fit aligns with leaders' self-evaluation.
Is there an official Ofsted SEF template for 2026?: Ofsted does not require a particular format. The toolkit says it can be used by leaders to support self-evaluation, so it makes sense to organise your own around its evaluation areas and grading standards.
How should safeguarding appear in a self-evaluation?: Safeguarding is judged as met or not met, not on the 5-point scale. A short note on your safeguarding culture and how you keep it under review is usually enough, alongside any safeguarding matters leaders would raise on the planning call.