What is an Ofsted Rating?

What is Ofsted?

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. It inspects education, training and care services in England, including schools, early years settings and further education providers.

For schools, Ofsted assesses different aspects of education and pupils’ experiences rather than giving the school one overall grade.

What are the new Ofsted ratings?

Under the current inspection framework, Ofsted uses a five-point grading scale:

• Exceptional

• Strong standard Schools can receive different grades across different areas rather than

• Expected standard

• Needs attention

• Urgent improvement

Safeguarding is assessed separately as met or not met.

The new grades are not directly comparable with the previous Ofsted ratings of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate. Schools can receive different grades across different areas rather than one overall Ofsted grade.

What are the Ofsted inspection categories?

For state-funded schools, Ofsted assesses six core areas:

• Inclusion: How well the school identifies and meets the needs of all pupils.

• Curriculum and teaching: The quality and effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching.

• Achievement: What pupils achieve, including their academic and personal development.

• Attendance and behaviour: How well pupils attend, behave and engage with school.

• Personal development and wellbeing: How the school supports pupils’ wider development and wellbeing.

• Leadership and governance: How effectively leaders and governors oversee the school.

Schools with relevant provision may also have separate evaluations for early years and post-16 provision. Safeguarding is assessed separately.

Read more about OFSTED and what it is in our blog, Ofsted inspection: what you need to know.