Why Digital Tools Matter: What Ofsted Now Expects—and How Starlight Supports It

Across the sector, one message keeps resurfacing in Ofsted reports and leadership briefings: schools are expected to use digital technologies intelligently to strengthen teaching, improve professional development, and secure better outcomes for pupils.

Ofsted’s inspection toolkit — which explains how the EIF is applied in schools — highlights the importance of using resources, including digital technologies, to support pupils’ progress and outcomes.

“Ensure that the curriculum is enhanced by the effective use of resources, including digital technologies, to support learners’ progress and outcomes.”

This is not about chasing innovation for its own sake. It’s about using technology in ways that are purposeful, practical, and proven to make a difference.

And that is exactly where Starlight sits.

The Three Themes Where Digital Tools Now Matter Most

1. Improving the quality of education through stronger teaching practice

Schools are expected to show how they develop teachers’ expertise—and how this development leads to better learning. Traditional CPD is often irregular, inconsistent, or too general. Starlight offers something different:

• Feedback that is specific, timely, and anchored in the actual lesson

• Insight that helps teachers see patterns, strengthen routines, and refine explanations

• Reflection that is built into everyday practice, rather than bolted on

  
  

This aligns directly with Ofsted’s focus on strong instructional practice supported by appropriate digital tools.

2. Reducing workload while raising standards

Ofsted’s research reviews consistently highlight the importance of protecting teacher workload. Digital tools that remove unnecessary work—and free teachers to think about teaching—are judged favourably.

Starlight supports this by:

• Automating transcription within minutes

• Producing coaching reports without leaders needing to write a single sentence

• Generating recap emails, homework tasks, and retrieval questions straight from the lesson audio

The time saved is tangible. The improvement in clarity and consistency is immediate.

3. Using data well—protecting privacy and strengthening leadership insight

Leaders are increasingly expected to understand what is happening in their classrooms without increasing surveillance or burden.

Starlight’s anonymised, hierarchical dashboards give senior and middle leaders:

• A clear picture of trends across classrooms

• Insight into strengths and areas to develop, without naming individual teachers

• Evidence that aligns with DfE priorities on workload reduction, coaching, and high-quality teaching

  
  

It makes leadership more informed while keeping professional growth private, supportive, and teacher-centred.

A Digital Tool With a Human Purpose

Technology in schools only matters when it improves relationships, strengthens teaching, and helps pupils learn more effectively.

Starlight was built for exactly this reason. Not to replace teachers or add another system to manage—but to spark insight, build a sustainable coaching culture, and give every teacher access to the kind of feedback that leads to genuine, incremental progress.

As Ofsted continues to emphasise the effective use of digital technologies, schools need tools that are grounded in classroom reality and shaped by teachers themselves.

Starlight is proud to be part of that shift.

Spark Insight with Starlight.

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The Insight Engine is written by Adam Sturdee, co-founder of Starlight—the UK’s first AI-powered coaching platform—and Assistant Headteacher at St Augustine’s Catholic College. This blog is part of a wider mission to support educators through meaningful reflection, not performance metrics. It documents the journey of building Starlight from the ground up, and explores how AI, when shaped with care, can reduce workload, surface insight, and help teachers think more deeply about their practice. Rooted in the belief that growth should be private, professional, and purposeful, The Insight Engine offers ideas and stories that put insight—not judgment—at the centre of development.