Few ‘outstanding’ schools retain the grade

Ofsted have produced a report on the 2021-22 academic year showing that 308 of the 370 outstanding schools that were inspected during that time were downgraded.

The report shows that the majority became ‘good’, but over a fifth fell to ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’. Schools rated ‘outstanding’ were exempt from re-inspection between 2012 and 2020, unless inspectors had concerns about their performance or safeguarding arrangements. During the year of the report schools were prioritised for inspection on the basis of how long they had gone without one, with some schools not inspected for 15 years.  Ofsted are due to inspect all previously exempt schools by 2025. As Ofsted visits schools more recently given the  ‘outstanding’ judgement, it is likely that the ratio of those retaining an ‘outstanding’ judgement may change.

HM Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman is reported as saying that the outcomes from the first full year of inspection since exemption was lifted “show that removing a school from scrutiny does not make it better”.

Ofsted will report on its inspections again next year.