Ofsted Ratings Explained

Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education) inspects every state school in England and publishes a public report. Understanding what the grades mean — and their limitations — helps you make a more informed decision about school choices.

The four Ofsted grades

Schools inspected under the framework in use before September 2025 receive one of four grades:

What Ofsted inspects

Under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF), inspectors assess five key areas:

• Quality of education — the curriculum: what is taught, how it is taught, and what pupils learn and remember
• Behaviour and attitudes — pupil conduct, attendance, and the school's culture
• Personal development — character, wellbeing, and preparation for life beyond school
• Leadership and management — how effectively leaders improve the school and support staff
• Early years provision (if applicable) — for schools with a Reception class

Each area receives its own grade. The overall effectiveness grade summarises all areas but cannot be higher than the lowest sub-grade — a school with Inadequate behaviour cannot be rated Good overall.

How often are schools inspected?

Inspection frequency is linked to the previous rating:

• Outstanding: exempt from routine inspection (though this changed — all Outstanding schools are now routinely inspected approximately every 5 years)
• Good: inspected approximately every 4 years
• Requires Improvement: monitoring visits, then re-inspection within 30 months
• Inadequate / Special Measures: re-inspected within 18 months; regular monitoring visits in between

This means an Outstanding rating can be up to 5 years old — the school may have changed significantly in that time. Always check the inspection date, not just the grade.

What the 2025 framework change means

From September 2025, Ofsted replaced the single headline grade system with a new "report card" model. Schools inspected under the new framework receive separate judgements across multiple areas rather than a single overall grade.

This means schools inspected under the new system will not have an "Outstanding" or "Good" headline grade — they will have a set of subject and area-level assessments. Ratings shown on school profiles on catchment.school reflect the most recent inspection under the previous graded framework (pre-September 2025 for most schools).

How to read an Ofsted report

The full inspection report is more informative than the headline grade alone. When reading a report, look for:

• The inspection date — a 2019 report tells you less than a 2023 report
• What inspectors specifically praised — and whether those qualities matter to you
• Areas for improvement — what the school was asked to work on, and whether subsequent monitoring suggests progress
• Safeguarding — this is separately assessed; a school must have effective safeguarding to receive any grade above Inadequate
• The school's response — some schools publish action plans following inspection; this shows how seriously leadership takes improvement

You can read the full report for any school on the Ofsted website. Each school profile on catchment.school links directly to the school's inspection report.

Should Ofsted rating affect your school choice?

Ofsted ratings are one data point among many. A Good school that suits your child's learning style, has excellent pastoral care, and is within easy walking distance may serve your family better than an Outstanding school that is oversubscribed and a long commute away.

Other factors to consider alongside the Ofsted rating:

• How recently the school was inspected
• Progress data (how much pupils improve relative to their starting points)
• Attendance figures
• Whether the school can meet your child's specific needs
• The feel of the school — visit if you can before applying

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean if a school has no Ofsted rating?

The school has not yet been inspected, or it is newly opened or recently merged. New schools receive their first inspection within 3 years of opening. No rating does not mean a poor school — it means there is no inspection data yet.

Can an Inadequate school improve?

Yes. Many schools move from Inadequate to Good within 2–3 years with the right leadership and support. Schools in special measures receive intensive support from Ofsted and may be converted to academies as part of the improvement process. Re-inspection results are published publicly.

What is the difference between special measures and serious weaknesses?

Both are subcategories of Inadequate. Special measures means inspectors judge that the leadership does not have the capacity to improve the school without significant external support. Serious weaknesses means the school is Inadequate in one or more areas but leadership is judged capable of improving without special measures oversight.