Ofsted ratings explained

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.

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.

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.

An Ofsted grade is a judgement made on one inspection, not a ranking. Two schools with the same grade can feel very different, and a grade can be several years old. Always check the inspection date shown on a school's profile.

Inspections report on more than one area. Where the sub-judgements differ from the headline, the full report explains why, so it is worth reading beyond the summary, especially for the areas that matter most to your child, such as behaviour or support for pupils with special educational needs.

Ofsted does not publish results in the way the DfE publishes exam data. Use inspection outcomes alongside performance and absence figures, not instead of them.