Mapped: The last primary schools ever to be rated 'Outstanding' after Ofsted changes
More than 400 primary schools rated “Outstanding” following inspections in the last school year will be the final ones ever to achieve that distinction.
During its latest round of inspections, carried out between September 1, 2023, and July 31 this year, Ofsted inspected 2,760 primary schools. Of those, 426 schools - about one in seven, or 15% - were told they had achieved the highest possible rating of “Outstanding”.
No more schools will ever be rated Outstanding following an overhaul of the grading system by Ofsted. It means the practice of issuing an overall one or two-word grade - either Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, or Inadequate - has been scrapped with immediate effect.
Ofsted will continue to inspect schools, but will now only issue gradings related to individual aspects of a school’s performance. The next time a school is inspected, it is guaranteed to lose its Outstanding rating as the changes come into effect.
Including primary schools last inspected before the last school year - many of which will be anticipating an imminent return of Ofsted inspectors - there were 1,887 Outstanding primary schools in England, as of July 31. That means about one in 10 (11%) English primary schools were rated Outstanding before the changes. Children were most likely to attend an Outstanding primary school in London, where nearly one in four (23%) were rated Outstanding before the changes.
That is far higher than in the North West, the region with the next highest proportion of Outstanding primary schools (12%, or one in eight). Only one in 14 primary schools (7%) were graded Outstanding in the East Midlands, the region with the lowest proportion.
Of council areas, 19 of 45 primary schools in Richmond upon Thames, London, were rated Outstanding (42%), the highest proportion in the country. That was followed by Camden (39%), Hammersmith and Fulham (39%), Kensington and Chelsea (37%), and Newham (37%).
Outside London, Trafford in Greater Manchester (24%), St Helens in Merseyside (20%), and Wigan in Greater Manchester (20%) had the highest proportion of Outstanding schools.
You can see the primary schools near you that were rated Outstanding at their last inspection using our interactive map.
The changes were made after Ofsted research found that fewer than four in 10 parents, and three in 10 teachers support one-word judgements. For future inspections this academic year, parents will see grades across the existing sub-categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
Ofsted will continue to inspect schools against the same standards, but will now only issue gradings related to individual aspects of a school's performance. Then from September 2025, “School Report Cards” will be introduced.
The exact content of the report cards is not yet clear, but the Department for Education says they “will provide parents with a complete picture of how schools are performing”. The changes come after several years of debate within education about whether one overall grade can sum up the complexity of a school.
That debate intensified after an inquest in 2023 found an inspection contributed to the death of head teacher Ruth Perry, who took her own life after learning her school was set to be graded Inadequate. Ofsted Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said: “The tragic death of Ruth Perry was a catalyst for this change, but the case for change has been building for years.
“We recognise the growing challenges facing education and social care, particularly since the pandemic. We don’t want to add to this pressure. Many of the changes we are introducing are aimed at reducing the pressure on those we inspect.
“We will always strive for higher standards for children, particularly the most vulnerable children. We share that aim with thousands of brilliant people working in education and social care. We are determined to win back their trust and work together in the interests of children and learners.”
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