Ofsted is set to introduce a new style of school inspection reports dubbed ‘report cards,’ designed to offer parents clearer, more detailed insight into the quality of education provided by schools. Under the revamped system, which will be rolled out from November 10 this year, schools will be graded on a five-point colour-coded scale across several key criteria, rather than receiving an overall inspection grade. This change represents a significant shift from the traditional single-word judgments, which were scrapped by the government last year amid concerns that they were overly simplistic and did not adequately reflect the nuanced realities of school performance.

The new report cards will assess schools on at least seven areas, including curriculum and teaching quality, achievement, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, as well as attendance and behaviour. Safeguarding standards will continue to be inspected but reported simply as ‘met’ or ‘unmet.’ The grading scale ranges from blue for ‘exceptional,’ through dark and medium green indicating ‘strong’ and ‘expected’ standards, down to orange and red signalling ‘needs attention’ or ‘urgent improvement.’ Parents will be able to view these assessments on an easy-to-navigate online report card, alongside additional contextual information such as pupil demographics, performance data, and recommended next steps for school improvement.

Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver emphasised that the new approach aims to provide parents with robust and transparent information to help them understand the strengths and areas for improvement in the schools their children attend. He also highlighted the importance of fairly assessing the work of education professionals, stating that the revised reports would help to showcase the best in schools while identifying where development is needed.

The initiative comes after feedback from parents and educators who found the previous grading system too blunt. Independent polling by YouGov suggests there is strong parental support for the new format, with nearly 70% preferring the report cards and around 90% finding them easy to understand. Ofsted has responded to concerns about increased inspector workload by committing to add an extra inspector for each inspection and by incorporating recommendations from a recent staff wellbeing review.

However, despite these endorsements, significant reservations persist within segments of the education community. Some headteachers, teaching unions, and advocacy groups have expressed deep concerns that any form of graded accountability—especially one that is publicly displayed—may continue to place unsustainable pressure on school leaders and staff. The tragic case of headteacher Ruth Perry, who died by suicide following her school’s downgrading in an Ofsted inspection, remains poignant in these discussions. Critics argue that the new system may not adequately address the mental health impact and could perpetuate a culture of fear around inspections. The National Education Union reports that a substantial majority of its members doubt the new system will ease the intense stress linked to Ofsted visits, and many feel the rollout timeline is too rushed for schools to prepare effectively.

The implementation timeline stipulates that schools inspected from mid-November 2025 will receive the new report cards, with the first public releases anticipated early in the new year. The changes will apply to state-funded primary and secondary schools, early years centres, and further education establishments, while independent schools outside the Independent Schools Council face a slightly later start in January 2026.

In the context of a broader governmental push for transparency and continuous improvement in education, the new Ofsted report cards seek to balance the need for detailed parental information with a fairer and more supportive inspection framework. Whether they achieve this delicate balance remains to be seen, as the education sector continues to debate the appropriate measures to ensure both accountability and wellbeing within schools.

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Source: Noah Wire Services