Ofsted Rating

Understanding Ofsted Ratings

Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) is the independent body responsible for inspecting schools in England. The Ofsted rating is one of the most widely recognised indicators of school quality, summarising inspectors’ judgements about a school’s overall effectiveness.

The Four Rating Categories

Schools are graded on a four-point scale:

• Outstanding (Grade 1): The school provides exceptional education. The quality of teaching, student outcomes, and leadership are all exemplary.

• Good (Grade 2): The school provides effective education. Students achieve well, and the school is well-led and managed.

• Requires Improvement (Grade 3): The school is not yet good but is not inadequate. There are weaknesses that need addressing.

• Inadequate (Grade 4): The school has serious weaknesses or is in special measures. Urgent improvement is needed.

What Inspectors Assess

Since September 2019, Ofsted inspections focus on four key areas:

1. Quality of Education: The curriculum, teaching quality, and how well students learn and remember knowledge
2. Behaviour and Attitudes: How students behave, their attendance, and attitudes to learning
3. Personal Development: Character development, PSHE, careers guidance, and preparation for life in modern Britain
4. Leadership and Management: How leaders ensure high-quality education, safeguarding, and staff wellbeing

Important Considerations

While Ofsted ratings provide valuable insight, they represent a snapshot in time. Inspections typically occur every 4-5 years for good schools, meaning ratings may not reflect recent changes. Schools with new leadership or recent improvements may perform differently than their last rating suggests.

Parents should consider Ofsted ratings alongside other factors: recent exam results, the school’s specific strengths, and how well it matches their child’s needs. The full Ofsted report, available on the school’s page, provides much more detail than the headline rating alone.