What is Ofsted and how does the new school ratings system work?

Getty Images The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) school leaders' union says Ofsted's new inspection framework is "unfairly penalising" schools in England with higher numbers of pupils who are disadvantaged, or have special educational needs (SEN). Ofsted's new report card system replaced its previous one or two-word judgements in November, a move the government says will help raise standards for children. But critics argue that the new inspection regime continues to put pressure on teachers and school leaders, and that some of the worst aspects of the old system remain. What does Ofsted mean and how are schools rated? Ofsted - the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills - inspects and reports on anywhere that provides education for young people in England, including schools, colleges, nurseries and childminders. The body also inspects some independent schools in England, while others are assessed by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Inspections in Wales are carried out by Estyn, in Scotland by Education Scotland, and in Northern Ireland by the Education and Training Inspectorate. How have school inspections changed? Many parents and carers rely on Ofsted ratings to help them choose a school or nursery for their child. Previously, schools or organisations were inspected every four years - or within 30 months, depending on their status - and were given one of four overall grades: 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 - requires improvement 4 - inadequate But since November 2025, Ofsted inspections no longer give a single overall grade. Instead, the new framework provides several grades for different parts of school life, with narrative summaries providing more details. Areas which are assessed include: curriculum and teaching achievement inclusion leadership and governance personal development and wellbeing attendance and behaviour early years and post-16 provision (if present) There are five possible grades for each area: urgent improvement attention needed expected standard strong standard exceptional A separate part of the report card says whether the school's duties around safeguarding have been met. An example of a new Ofsted inspection report Estyn in Wales and the body that inspects Church of England schools and academies have also both moved away from a single grade approach. Why did Ofsted change the system for inspections? Ofsted scrapped the old single-word judgements for schools in 2024, following the death of head teacher Ruth Perry in January 2023. She took her own life after an inspection which downgraded her school's rating. Mrs Perry's death triggered a national debate about the nature of school inspections, and her sister Prof Julia Waters led a campaign to change the previous system. Why is the new system controversial? The NAHT looked at the final reports of more than 650 Ofsted inspections conducted since the new system was introduced. It said schools were more likely to receive a poorer judgement on their school's "achievement" or "attendance and behaviour" if they had a higher proportion of pupils with SEND, or higher numbers of pupils receiving free school meals. General secretary Paul Whiteman said schools serving the most deprived communities were facing "an uphill battle" to reach Ofsted's new "expected standard" grade in achievement. Ofsted said it would soon be bringing out its own analysis of inspections under the new system. Prof Waters has said the new system "failed to learn the lessons" from Mrs Perry's death, with a continuing "risk to the health and wellbeing of teachers and school leaders". A legal challenge brought by the NAHT against the changes was thrown out by the High Court one week before the new system was introduced. Ofsted's chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver previously said the new system would be "better for parents" and "fair" to schools. What happens after an Ofsted inspection? Previously, schools rated inadequate became sponsored academies, and were supported by another "outstanding" school or charity to improve. The new report cards will result in the government intervening more quickly to help struggling schools, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said. New regional teams, with a budget of up to £100,000 per school, will help turn around "stuck" schools that have received back-to-back negative judgements from Ofsted. But those that fail to improve will be transferred to a successful academy trust, even if they are already run by a different academy or a council. PA Media Can schools complain about their Ofsted rating? Head teachers can challenge the rating their school is given. Complaints are dealt with by a senior inspector who was not involved in the original assessment. The way Ofsted handles the post-inspection period changed in April 2024, with the aim of resolving complaints more quickly, and increasing transparency around decision-making.

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