Schools inspectorate Ofsted has revealed its new 鈥渞eport card鈥-style grading system for schools, after it was pressured into reforming its regime following the suicide of a headteacher.
The new report cards will use a five-point grading system across up to 11 areas, with colour-coded ratings for each, from 鈥渃ausing concern鈥 to 鈥渆xemplary鈥.
Safeguarding will only receive a grade of 鈥渕et鈥 or 鈥渘ot met鈥.
Under wider planned school inspection reforms, graded inspections will be scrapped and there will be more monitoring of schools that are underperforming in one or more areas.
, teaching unions criticised the proposals, saying they were 鈥渨orse than single-word judgments鈥 and will cause 鈥測et more misery鈥.
The Ofsted overhaul comes after a coroner ruled in 2023 that an inspection of Caversham Primary School in Reading, UK, 鈥渃ontributed鈥 .
: 鈥淭his process will give fairer, more rounded, better information, both to the school and to parents, as well as taking into [account] the context of a school and the individual strengths and areas of improvement.鈥
, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the plans would “swap single headline grades for the rich, granular insight of school report cards”.
She said they would “raise the bar on what we expect from schools…Shining a light on the areas that matter, each given their own grade.”
“This is a government that is never content, never complacent, never satisfied, when it comes to standards in schools”, she added.
Under the proposals, every school will be judged on leadership and governance, curriculum, developing teaching, achievement, behaviour and attitudes, attendance, personal development and well-being, inclusion and safeguarding.
Those with early years provision or sixth forms would receive an additional grade for each area.
Across all areas except safeguarding, schools will be given one of five colour-coded judgments from dark green to red: exemplary, strong, secure, attention needed, or causing concern.
. Schools with widespread issues will continue to be categorised as “special measures” with those with more specific issues labelled “requires significant improvement”.
Despite their colourful appearance, the new report cards have sparked heavy criticism already.
Pepe Di鈥橧asio, general secretary of the ASCL leaders鈥 union, said they were 鈥渨orse than single-word judgements鈥.
He said the Government and Ofsted have “learnt nothing” from the dead of Ruth Perry and the new system would lead to 鈥測et more misery鈥 for the profession.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders鈥 union NAHT, said retaining sub-judgments 鈥渞isks replicating the worst aspects of the current system and will do little to reduce the enormous pressure school leaders are under鈥.
The consultation will run for 12 weeks until April 28. A new inspection framework will be introduced in September, with actual inspections set to begin after half term.
