How do Ofsted school grades work and why are they changing?
One and two-word Ofsted inspection grades for schools in England are being scrapped immediately.
The four overall ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate will no longer be issued for state schools.
The government announced on Monday, as pupils return to the classroom this week, that the single headline grades will be scrapped "with immediate effect to boost school standards and increase transparency for parents".
Instead, new school report cards will be issued from September 2025 that will give parents a more comprehensive view of how a school is performing.
The overhaul follows the suicide in 2023 of Ruth Perry, a headteacher who had been told by Ofsted that her primary school would be rated "inadequate".
What was the old ratings system for Ofsted inspections?
Under the system that has just been scrapped by the government, Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) would issue single headline grades for state primary schools and secondary schools, nurseries and childminders.
Following an inspection, a school would have been given one of the following four grades:
- Outstanding
- Good
- Requires improvement
- Inadequate
How often are Ofsted inspections required?
Schools are inspected every four years or 30 months, depending on their status.
An Ofsted visit can last up to two days and inspectors watch lessons and talk to both staff and pupils. The school is usually only notified of an Ofsted visit the day before.
Schools that were given an Outstanding or Good rating would have been inspected again after four years, while any school that was told it required improvement would have been revisited after 30 months.
Routine inspections about every four years were restored by the government in 2020, having been halted in 2011 for schools rated Outstanding, a move that meant some schools may not have been assessed for more than 10 years.
What changes are being made to Ofsted grading?
With single headline grades now scrapped, parents will instead be able to view a report card which will give a more comprehensive picture of what inspectors have found at a school.
The school report cards will be introduced from September 2025, the government said.
For inspections carried out this academic year, a school will be given one of four grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate) across all of the existing sub-categories, which are:
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal Development
- Leadership and management
Under the new system, where schools are identified as struggling, the government will prioritise getting plans in place to improve the education and experience of children, rather than relying on changing schools’ management.
Watch: One-word Ofsted judgments for schools scrapped by Government
In cases of the most serious concern, the government will continue to intervene, including by issuing an academy order, which may in some cases mean transferring to new management.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said if a school is judged to be "inadequate" in one of the four areas, the government could intervene, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she retains the "power to issue an order to convert that school into an academy".
The removal of of single headline grades for other settings inspected by Ofsted, such as independent schools, early years settings, colleges, children’s social care providers and initial teacher training, will follow.
Why have changes been introduced?
The government's announcement follows the suicide of Ruth Perry, headteacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading, who took her own life in January 2023 while waiting for the publication of an Ofsted report she had been told would rate her school "inadequate", having previously been "outstanding".
An inquest found that the Ofsted inspection contributed to her death before an all-party group of MPs called for single headline grades to be scrapped. The government says the new report card system is backed by 77% of parents.
On Monday, Phillipson told Sky News that Mrs Perry's death made the need for Ofsted grades reform “absolutely clear”.
She said: “I have met on a number of occasions with Julia Waters, who is Ruth’s sister, and spoken about the family’s experience and the tragedy of Ruth’s death – and what the family has been through – which is beyond words.
“I think what Ruth’s death did do, and the campaigning work of Julia and the family, was to shine a light on the need for reform, and to make absolutely clear that we need a better system for families, for parents, and for children, but also for staff within our schools as well.”
What has the reaction been?
The family of Mrs Perry has welcomed the move, with her sister, Professor Julia Waters, saying: "We are delighted and relieved that the government has decided to take this important and long-overdue step.
“Single-word headline judgments are dangerous and reductive. Ofsted’s reign of terror has caused untold harm to headteachers and school staff for too long, with a negative impact on children’s education.”
Jason Elsom, chief executive of charity Parentkind, said: “Parents have been very clear that they want to see changes to the way Ofsted reports back after visiting a school and it is welcome to see a clear timetable being set out today for moving towards a report card that will give parents greater clarity of the performance of their children’s school.”
The move was also backed by unions the National Association of Headteachers, the NASUWT and the National Education Union.
However, shadow education secretary Damian Hinds said headline grades are “a vital indicator for parents” and that scrapping them is “not in the best interest of pupils or parents”.
