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Ofsted Quality of Education

Ofsted

Last refreshed 30 January 2026 16:42
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Ofsted Quality of Education

Ofsted

Quality of education rating from Ofsted inspection

Understanding Ofsted Quality of Education

The Quality of Education grade is one of four key judgements made during an Ofsted inspection. It’s often considered the most important, focusing on what students learn and how well they learn it.

What Inspectors Assess

Quality of Education covers three areas:

Intent: The school’s curriculum design - Is it ambitious and well-sequenced? - Does it cover the national curriculum? - Is it adapted for students with SEND?

Implementation: How the curriculum is taught - Do teachers have strong subject knowledge? - Is teaching effective? - Do students remember what they learn?

Impact: What students achieve - Are students learning the curriculum? - Do they develop detailed knowledge and skills? - Are they well-prepared for the next stage?

The Four Grades

  • Outstanding: Exceptional quality of education
  • Good: Students receive a good education
  • Requires Improvement: Not yet good enough
  • Inadequate: Serious weaknesses in education quality

Why This Matters Most

Quality of Education gets to the heart of what schools do: teaching students effectively. A school might have lovely buildings and happy students, but if the education isn’t strong, it’s failing its core purpose.

For Parents

This grade tells you whether: - The curriculum is well-planned and ambitious - Teaching is effective - Students are learning and remembering knowledge - Children will be prepared for their next steps

Technical Details

Column Name
ofsted_quality_of_education
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, 5 values)

Outstanding
878 5.3%
Good
6,585 39.5%
Requires Improvement
1,230 7.4%
Inadequate
109 0.7%
9
7,880 47.2%

Secondary (1190 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
62 5.2%
Good
502 42.2%
Requires Improvement
198 16.6%
Inadequate
26 2.2%
9
402 33.8%

Secondary with Sixth Form (1972 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
254 12.9%
Good
810 41.1%
Requires Improvement
209 10.6%
Inadequate
19 1.0%
9
680 34.5%

Sixth Form Only (262 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
64 24.4%
Good
153 58.4%
Requires Improvement
17 6.5%
-
18 6.9%
10 3.8%

All-through (253 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
17 6.7%
Good
123 48.6%
Requires Improvement
28 11.1%
Inadequate
4 1.6%
9
81 32.0%

Special (1058 schools, 5 values)

Outstanding
87 8.2%
Good
244 23.1%
Requires Improvement
65 6.1%
Inadequate
27 2.6%
9
635 60.0%