The inception of a new Framework for Inspection of Schools (Ofsted, 2011), marks a new phase of inspection for schools in England. Although school inspections in England have been taking place since 1838, both the character and climate of inspection underwent substantial change with the inception of Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education) in 1992. The new agency articulated a much greater and overtly regulatory role than the previous inspectorate, its purpose ‘to independently inspect, report on and improve standards of achievement and quality in education’(Ofsted, 1998). A key element of this has involved the creation of a discourse of excellence produced through thematic reports which articulate facets of what constitutes excellence in secondary schooling. This paper explores Ofsted’s articulation of excellence in secondary education within the period 1992- 2011, and examines implications of the new 2012 inspection framework for discourses of secondary school excellence in England (Ofsted, 2012). REFS Ofsted. (1998). Ofsted background briefing. Retrieved 200112, 2012, from http://web.archive.org/web/19980210103323/http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/about2.htm Ofsted. (2011). The draft evaluation schedule for the inspection of maintained schools and academies. Ofsted. (2012). Ofsted: who we are and what we do Retrieved 010112, 2012, from http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/about-us