Ofsted report cards explained: schools no longer get an «outstanding» grade

Ofsted published the first independent research into its new-style inspections on 9 October, a year after schools, colleges and nurseries began being inspected under the renewed framework. For parents it is a good moment to remember the bigger change: English schools no longer get a single word such as «outstanding» or «good», and the scale that replaced it has to be read differently.

What exactly was published on 9 October?

A survey by IFF Research, commissioned by Ofsted but carried out independently. It covers providers inspected between January and April 2026, and the leaders' union NAHT helped design the questions. The full report is due in 2027; these are the first findings.

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The numbers: 88% agreed their inspection was conducted respectfully, 78% empathetically and 76% collaboratively rather than top-down. 74% said inspectors tried to account for the particular context of their provision. The figure that matters most to a parent is a different one: 81% agreed the report accurately described what it is like to be a pupil, learner or child at that provider. More than six in ten said the inspection would help them improve.

The research also records the cost. About four in ten said inspection affected their own or their staff's mental wellbeing «a fair amount» or «a lot», rising to nearly half among schools. 48% said the benefits outweighed the negatives, while 31% disagreed. His Majesty's Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver acknowledged that workload and wellbeing «continue to be challenging».

Why does a school no longer have an «outstanding» grade?

Because Ofsted dropped the single overall judgement. Inspections under the new framework have been running since November 2025, and instead of one word a provider now gets a report card with a separate colour-coded grade for each area of its work.

Ofsted warns explicitly that the new grades cannot be compared with the old ones. This is not a rebrand: both the way inspection is carried out and what goes into the report have changed.

What are the grades on a new Ofsted report card?

There are five, from the top down. Exceptional — practice among the very best nationally, which should be shared with others. Strong standard — excellent, consistent work that makes a real difference. Expected standard — the provider is doing what it should. Needs attention — work is needed to reach the expected standard. Urgent improvement — the lowest grade on the scale.

The point parents most often miss: Expected standard is not a mediocre result. Ofsted shows it in green and describes it as a high standard. Equally, Needs attention is in Ofsted's own words not a «fail», but a marker of where the provider has to catch up.

Which areas are actually graded?

Grades are given area by area, not overall. Among those Ofsted itself names as mattering to parents: attendance and behaviour, achievement, personal development and wellbeing, and inclusion — how well the provider meets the needs of all children.

For a family that has recently moved to the UK and whose child is still building up English, the inclusion line often says more than any general description of the school.

How is child safety graded?

Separately from the scale. Safeguarding responsibilities are recorded as either «met» or «not met». There is no third option.

Where do you find a particular school's report?

At reports.ofsted.gov.uk. You can search by name or address for any school, nursery, childminder, college or apprenticeship provider. A new report card only appears after the provider's next inspection, and earlier reports are listed at the bottom of its page. The card also shows context data recorded at the time of inspection — the number of children and the age range, taken from Department for Education sources.

What if a school still shows an old report?

Check the date and resist converting the old word into a new one. A report from 2022 or 2023 means the school has not yet been inspected under the new framework, and by now the head and half the staff may have changed. Do not treat an old «Good» as equivalent to a new «Expected standard» — they come from different scales built on different rules.

How does this connect to the 31 October deadline?

Directly. Applications for a secondary school place from September 2027 close on 31 October 2026, and primary applications close on 15 January 2027. These are the weeks when parents compare schools, and the Ofsted report is one of the few sources you can check yourself instead of relying on what someone said at the playground.

A sensible order: open the report card for every school on your list, look at the date of the last inspection, read the specific areas that matter for your child rather than one summary line, and check the safeguarding line separately.