Speak Up Culture & Evidencing Compliance for Your Ofsted Inspection
A conversation with Stefan Jordan, Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing at Colchester Institute, on what the new Ofsted further education and skills toolkit means for reporting, inclusion and evidencing impact.
The updated toolkit came into force on 1 September 2026. In this webinar, Gemma McCall, CEO and Co-Founder of Culture Shift, is joined by Stefan Jordan to unpack what has changed, what inspectors are actually looking for, and how further education providers can build the evidence base to show it.
Watch the full recording above. Below is a summary of what's covered, with key insights from Stefan.
Why this webinar, why now
Ofsted's renewed inspection framework was published in September 2025, and the updated further education and skills toolkit took effect on 1 September 2026.
Stefan's journey from Higher Education to Further Education
Stefan brings a background in inclusion, diversity, mental health and wellbeing from higher education, working closely with regulatory bodies including the Office for Students. He explains why Colchester Institute created a dedicated Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing role in response to the toolkit, and what the move from HE to FE revealed about the complexity of the learner population, from apprentices and adult learners to those with education and healthcare plans.
"Inclusion is now much more visible, and it's a whole-provider responsibility rather than a standalone item on the agenda."
Stefan Jordan, Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing, Colchester Institute
What the new Ofsted toolkit actually changes
Further Education providers no longer receive one overall effectiveness grade. Instead, each evaluation area, including inclusion, leadership and governance, participation, attendance, curriculum and achievement, is graded separately on a five-point scale. Safeguarding sits outside that scale entirely and is judged as either met or not met. Stefan explains why "expected standard" is one of the harder gradings to achieve, despite sounding like a basic threshold.
"The expected standard sounds like a basic threshold, but it's actually quite comprehensive."
— Stefan Jordan
Incident types: Further Education vs Higher Education
Drawing on his experience across both sectors, Stefan outlines how reporting patterns and disclosure differ. In FE, concerns are closely tied to safeguarding, and reporting is often less formal, with staff picking up on changes in attendance, behaviour or wellbeing rather than a written report. In HE, reporting more frequently centres on sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination between adults through formal channels.
"In FE, pretty much everything is connected to safeguarding. In HE, reporting frequently focuses on sexual misconduct, harassment, domestic abuse and discrimination between adults."
— Stefan Jordan
What inspectors are actually looking for
Stefan sets out a three-part framework inspectors use to triangulate evidence: learner voice and understanding of barriers, staff practice and consistency, and leadership decisions and outcomes. The emphasis throughout is on impact over activity volume, evidencing what has actually changed, not simply that something took place.
"Learners should feel safe, respected and confident to raise concerns. Staff should recognise and challenge inappropriate behaviour, and follow the correct process. And leaders should understand which groups face which barriers, and show what they've done to challenge them."
— Stefan Jordan
Demonstrating action and impact
A recurring theme is the distinction between activity and impact. Delivering training or launching a reporting system shows something has happened. It does not prove it has worked. Stefan encourages providers to separate the two and build a practical, repeatable cycle: identify the issue, understand who it affects, agree the action, implement it, communicate the response, and return to the evidence to check whether it made a difference.
"Training delivery is activity. Staff responding more confidently and consistently is impact."
— Stefan Jordan
Where reporting technology fits
Gemma and Stefan discuss the role of a dedicated reporting platform such as Report + Support™ in supporting this evidence chain. A single, consistent reporting route, alongside named or anonymous options, helps prevent concerns from disappearing into individual inboxes, supports consistent handling across departments, and gives leaders the visibility to spot patterns rather than only reacting to isolated incidents. Stefan is clear that technology supports the culture and consistency Ofsted expects to see. It does not replace trusted relationships with staff.
"Technology is the enabler. It's the means to get there, not the culture itself."
— Stefan Jordan
Five actions to take away
Stefan closes with five practical steps for any provider preparing for inspection:
- Know your groups – Understand your learner population and which groups may face additional barriers to speaking up or accessing support.
- Know your gaps – Map the learner journey from first point of contact and identify where voices may be missing.
- Understand the barriers – Ask why someone might not report a concern, and what could be preventing a good experience.
- Demonstrate the response – Show how concerns are acknowledged, assessed, owned and concluded, consistently across the institution.
- Demonstrate the impact – Show what has changed as a result. This is the step Stefan describes as the most important.
Interested in how Report + Support™ can support your reporting and evidencing processes? Get in touch with our team.
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Speak Up Culture & Evidencing Compliance for Your Ofsted Inspection
Join Stefan Jordan, Colchester Institute's Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing, with Culture Shift Co-Founder, Gemma McCall, as they break down what Ofsted's new further education and skills inspection toolkit actually expects from you on speaking up, follow-through, and staff protection.
Feeling inspired?
Take the first step toward preventative misconduct management with a demo of our Report + Support™ platform. We can show you how to breakdown reporting barriers with anonymous 2-way messaging, and how to act before things escalate with name-matching and pattern-spotting across our analytics dashboard.
