How will new Ofsted school ratings work?

Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, is introducing a new school rating system that aims to provide a more accurate assessment of schools’ performance.

Under the new system, schools will be rated on four key areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The new ratings will replace the current categories of outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate with a new grading system of excellent, good, requires improvement, and inadequate.

Ofsted inspectors will use a more holistic approach to assess schools, taking into account a wider range of factors such as the school’s culture, curriculum, and pupil outcomes.

Schools will also be judged on their effectiveness in promoting pupil well-being and resilience, as well as their efforts to support pupils’ mental health and emotional well-being.

The new ratings aim to provide a more transparent and fair assessment of schools, helping parents and the wider community to make informed decisions about education provision.

Schools will receive detailed feedback from inspectors to help them identify areas for improvement and support their ongoing development.

The new system is set to be rolled out gradually across schools in England, with full implementation expected by 2023.

Educational professionals and stakeholders have welcomed the new ratings system, citing its focus on a broader range of criteria and its potential to drive school improvement.

Overall, the new Ofsted school ratings aim to provide a more accurate and comprehensive assessment of schools’ performance, ultimately benefiting students, parents, and the wider community.