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Ofsted Leadership and Management

Ofsted

Last refreshed 30 January 2026 16:42
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Ofsted Leadership and Management

Ofsted

Leadership and management rating from Ofsted inspection

Understanding Ofsted Leadership and Management

The Leadership and Management grade assesses how well school leaders run the institution. Strong leadership is essential for sustained school improvement and maintaining high standards.

What Inspectors Assess

Vision and Standards: - Do leaders have a clear, ambitious vision? - Are expectations consistently high? - Is the curriculum well-designed and implemented?

Staff Development: - Do teachers receive good professional development? - Is workload managed appropriately? - Are staff supported and valued?

Governance: - Do governors challenge and support leaders effectively? - Is there proper oversight of safeguarding? - Are finances managed well?

Safeguarding: - Are safeguarding arrangements effective? - Is the school’s culture one of vigilance? - Are staff trained appropriately?

The Four Grades

  • Outstanding: Exceptional leadership driving continuous improvement
  • Good: Leaders ensure the school performs well
  • Requires Improvement: Leadership is not yet good
  • Inadequate: Leadership is failing the school

Why This Matters

Good leaders create good schools. They: - Set the culture and expectations - Recruit and develop great teachers - Ensure resources are used effectively - Keep children safe

For Parents

This grade indicates: - Whether the school is well-run - If safeguarding is robust - Whether improvement is likely to continue - The quality of strategic direction

Technical Details

Column Name
ofsted_leadership_and_management
Data Source
Ofsted

Coverage by School Phase

How many schools have data available for this field.

Primary
93% 16682 / 17910
Secondary
94% 1190 / 1263
Secondary with Sixth Form
97% 1972 / 2033
Sixth Form Only
90% 262 / 289
All-through
94% 253 / 269
Special
51% 1058 / 2059
Independent
0% 3 / 1724
Good (80%+)
Moderate (50-79%)
Poor (<50%)

This field does not contribute to the performance score calculation.

Value Distribution by School Phase

Distribution of categorical values across schools.

Primary (16682 schools, 4 values)

Outstanding
2,315 13.9%
Good
13,208 79.2%
Requires Improvement
1,015 6.1%
Inadequate
144 0.9%

Secondary (1190 schools, 4 values)

Outstanding
170 14.3%
Good
834 70.1%
Requires Improvement
155 13.0%
Inadequate
31 2.6%

Secondary with Sixth Form (1972 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
475 24.1%
Good
1,297 65.8%
Requires Improvement
131 6.6%
Inadequate
39 2.0%
30 1.5%

Sixth Form Only (262 schools, 2 values)

Good
1 0.4%
261 99.6%

All-through (253 schools, 4 values)

Outstanding
46 18.2%
Good
182 71.9%
Requires Improvement
18 7.1%
Inadequate
7 2.8%

Special (1058 schools, 4 values)

Outstanding
385 36.4%
Good
596 56.3%
Requires Improvement
46 4.3%
Inadequate
31 2.9%