Insights

Ofsted has retired the single-word judgement. In its place is a nine-part report card, a five-point scale, and a markedly different theory of what counts as evidence. Here’s what school leaders need to take from it, and what’s still genuinely unresolved. Every school inspected under the Education Act 2005 has, until now, ended up with one word attached to it. Outstanding. Good. Requires improvement. Inadequate. From November 2025, that single overall judgement is gone. The new State-funded School Inspection Toolkit replaces it with a report card: a graded verdict across nine separate evaluation areas, each assessed on its own terms, with no attempt to compress the result back into a single label. This isn’t a cosmetic rebrand of the old education inspection framework. It

At Compass, we recognise the pivotal role that an effective student information management system plays in the success of UK schools. A well-implemented MIS not only supports education, but also streamlines operations by simplifying and automating routine processes. As headteachers, you’re tasked with overseeing a complex web of data that impacts every aspect of your school’s operations. But how can a Management Information System (MIS) transform the way you handle student information? With education increasingly driven by data, a robust MIS is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity. By automating administrative tasks, an MIS reduces manual workload for administrators, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives. Compass is here to guide you through the transformative power of MIS, enhancing student information

It’s School Workforce Census season, so let’s make it easier, step by step. The school workforce census is the annual autumn exercise where schools report staff details, so the DfE gets an accurate picture of who keeps schools running across England. For 2025, census day is Thursday, 6 November and the submission deadline is Friday 5 December. The good news: it doesn’t have to mean late nights and endless spreadsheets. Compass MIS streamlines the whole process by surfacing missing fields early, validating entries as you go, and producing a clean return ready for COLLECT. In this guide, we’ll show you what the school workforce census includes, the key dates to remember, and how Compass helps you complete it accurately and on time. School Workforce

Analyse school performance data to get a clear, data-driven view of how your school is doing, and where it can improve. By examining real metrics like pupil progress and attainment, you can identify trends and take meaningful steps to boost learning outcomes. The Analyse School Performance (ASP) platform helps break down this data by key stages and pupil groups, giving you valuable insights into your school’s strengths and challenges. At Compass, our Pulse module goes even further – tracking student progress in real time and generating actionable reports to inform teaching strategies. Gone are the days of relying solely on staff memory or handwritten notes – now you have precise, real-time data to guide your next move. Understanding School Performance Analysis To lead improvement

A baseline assessment is a valuable tool used at the beginning of a learning period to evaluate what students already know and can do. It serves as a starting point for understanding student abilities, enabling teachers to tailor their lessons to meet the specific needs of their class. By identifying existing knowledge and skills, educators can set realistic goals and expectations for student progress. Because no one wants a one-size-fits-all approach – students deserve better! These assessments help pinpoint strengths and areas for improvement, guiding effective learning strategies. The baseline data from them allows educators to build a comprehensive picture of student progress over time. This data-driven approach not only helps in tracking growth but also aids in predicting future performance, ultimately leading to

Choosing the best school management system can have a lasting impact on how your school runs day to day. From improving communication between staff, students, and families to simplifying key tasks like attendance and reporting, the right platform helps create the conditions where learning can thrive.  With MIS now a standard requirement across UK schools, there are more options than ever – each offering its own set of comprehensive features and benefits. But with so much choice, it can be hard to know where to begin. In this post, we’ll walk you through what to look for in a school MIS and introduce you to Compass, a platform designed to support your whole school community, so you can focus more on teaching and less