Classic overall effectiveness (OEIF)
Many schools still have a latest inspection under the older framework with an overall effectiveness grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate.
Where that is the latest available outcome in Ofsted’s monthly management information, we show it as the Ofsted headline.
Report-card style inspections
Newer inspections may publish graded areas (for example curriculum and teaching, inclusion, attendance and behaviour) instead of a single overall label.
On school profiles we surface those official fields where present. On search cards and maps we still prefer a clear headline when Ofsted provides one.
How to use Ofsted on this site
Treat Ofsted as one signal among several. Always open the full report linked from the school profile when deciding. Grades can be several years old and are not a prediction of future performance.
Next steps
Put the guide into practice with official school data on this site.
More guides
- How to compare schools in EnglandUse official GIAS, Ofsted and DfE figures side by side — then visit schools and read full reports before deciding.
- Understanding Attainment 8 and Progress 8Attainment 8 measures GCSE-level results; Progress 8 estimates progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4. Both come from official DfE tables.
- Find schools near a postcodeSearch by outward code or full postcode, refine by radius, then add nearby schools to your compare shortlist.