The Significance of Ofsted Scrapping Single-Word Ratings

The government recently announced that Ofsted – the schools’ inspectorate – will no longer give the headline grades of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate to schools following an inspection.

In this blog we’ll look at the reasons for the change; what will replace the single-word ratings; and what difference (if any) it will actually make.

What Has Prompted the Change?

There has long been a debate over the effectiveness of single-word Ofsted judgements. However, the arguments and concerns became more vociferous following the suicide of a headteacher, Ruth Perry, in January 2023. Her school had been downgraded by Ofsted from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Inadequate’ a couple of months earlier.

The tragic case brought into focus the devastating impact that an Ofsted judgement can have on a school, its teachers, and its leaders.

An Education Committee Inquiry began in 2023 following Ruth Perry’s death. It looked at the overall effectiveness of Ofsted and whether its work could be improved. The inquiry welcomed submissions from teachers, inspectors, unions, academics, and a wide range of stakeholders in education.

Ofsted inspections and judgements were described as unfair and unhealthy by a large number of respondents. In short, the general consensus was that Ofsted and the pressure of inspections were incredibly problematic. Crucially, single-word judgements were described as ‘unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst.’

How Will Schools Now Be Graded?

A new ‘report card’ system is being rolled out by Ofsted this term to replace single-word ratings. Schools will now be given grades for various sub-categories, such as Leadership & Management and Behaviour & Attitudes.

The end of single-word ratings has been universally welcomed by schools and the changes will certainly help to lessen at least some of the anxiety that teachers feel about inspections.

More importantly, any reform to Ofsted at least shows that teachers are being listened to about their concerns about inspections. Many within the profession would say that’s not before time.

Is the Change Really That Significant?

However, most teachers would argue that the removal of single-word rating should be just the start of a much wider reform to school inspections. Indeed, it needs to be if schools are to stem the haemorrhaging of staff from the profession.

All schools agree that there needs to be accountability but most professionals working within education would argue that Ofsted should focus far less on judgements, and much more on supporting schools to develop and improve.

Ofsted grading has shaped virtually everything that schools do in recent years. Many argue that this has been to the detriment of the people any school should be all about – its pupils.

Teachers feel like they are constantly jumping through the hoops set by Ofsted and that the goalposts are constantly moving.

And now the goalposts have moved again. Although the latest move is a welcome one, time will tell how big a difference it actually makes.

It could just mean that schools are chasing report-card grades instead of single-word ratings.