The New Ofsted Judgements Explained

Understanding the New Grading Scale

Rather than a single overall judgement, schools receive separate grades for individual areas of their provision:

• The highest grade awarded by Ofsted. Practice is among the strongest seen nationally and may serve as an example for other schools to follow.
• Strong Standard: Practice consistently exceeds the Expected Standard and has a strong, positive impact on pupils’ outcomes and experiences.
• Expected Standard: This is the standard Ofsted expects all schools to meet. It means the school is providing the education, care and support that children should receive and is meeting inspectors' expectations.

• Needs Attention: Some aspects of provision require further improvement in order to reach the Expected Standard. This is not a failing grade, but it highlights areas that need focused development.
• Urgent Improvement: Significant weaknesses have been identified and rapid improvement is required.

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is judged separately and is reported as either: Met / Not Met

Areas Evaluated by Ofsted at TLAP

Inspectors consider and grade the following areas:

• Inclusion
• Curriculum and Teaching
• Achievement
• Attendance and Behaviour
• Personal Development and Well-being
• Early Years
• Leadership and Governance

Why Has Ofsted Changed the Grading System?

Ofsted introduced the new report cards to give parents and carers a clearer and more balanced understanding of school performance.

Under the previous system, schools received a single overall judgement. Whilst straightforward, many felt that one word could not fully reflect the complexity of a school or the quality of provision across different areas.

The new approach recognises that schools may perform exceptionally well in some aspects of their work whilst continuing to develop others. Rather than relying on a single headline judgement, inspectors now evaluate several key areas separately.

The aim is to help parents and carers:

• Understand a school's strengths in greater detail.
• Identify areas where improvements are being made.
• Gain a clearer picture of the education, care and support children receive.
• Make more informed decisions when comparing educational provision.

Ultimately, the new system is designed to provide greater transparency and a more accurate reflection of school performance.

Further information about the new Ofsted report cards can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-ofsted-report-cards-and-grades

We hope this information helps you understand the changes to the inspection framework and the new report card system.

Under Ofsted's new framework, our school was awarded four Strong Standards, three Expected Standards, and met all safeguarding requirements. This is a fantastic achievement and one that our whole school community should be incredibly proud of.

While the grading system has changed, it is important to understand the significance of this outcome. A Strong judgement means that a school is working above the standard expected of it, with only a very small number of schools nationally achieving the highest category of Exceptional. To achieve four Strong Standards is a wonderful recognition of the quality of education, care and opportunities provided at TLAP.