����Vlog

One in seven schools has received the highest Ofsted grade in the first wave of report cards published under the watchdog’s new inspection framework.

The inspectorate today published report cards for 21 schools that were among the first to be inspected.

It is the first time that Ofsted’s new grading system has been published for individual schools.

Schools are now assessed using a five-point grading scale across at least six different evaluation areas after major reforms last year.

Schools are no longer given a single overall effectiveness grade after these were scrapped by the Labour government at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

Ofsted’s new report card inspections started in November last year, with schools that had volunteered, before routine inspections began in December.

All of today’s published reports are from inspections that took place in November.

No schools get the lowest Ofsted grade

Three out of the 21 schools with published inspection reports received an “exceptional” grade in at least one of their evaluation areas.

“Exceptional” is the highest grade a school can get, followed by “strong standard”, “expected standard”, “needs attention” and “urgent improvement”.

Ofsted has said that it will only give the “exceptional” grade when it sees practice that is “among the very best nationally, which should be shared with other schools or providers to help them improve”.

No schools in the first wave received the lowest grade of “urgent improvement”, and just three “needs attention” grades were issued in the first 21 reports.

In the report cards published so far, curriculum and teaching and achievement were the two evaluation areas where schools were most likely not to have achieved one of the top two inspection grades.

Fifteen of the 21 schools were graded as being at the “expected standard” for curriculum and teaching and another five were found to be at a “strong standard”, while one was rated as “exceptional”.

There were no schools rated as “needs attention” or “urgent improvement” in this category.

For achievement, 13 schools were at the “expected standard”, six were of a “strong standard”, one was rated as “exceptional” and one was rated as “needs attention”.

Inclusion was the only category where more than one “exceptional” grade was achieved - with two schools achieving this in the opening wave of inspections.

Ark Castledown Primary Academy, in Sussex, received an “exceptional” grade in inclusion, a new evaluation area for the latest inspection framework.

Inspectors called Castledown an “extremely inclusive” school, and said that staff “quickly identify pupils’ needs” and are “experts in using the best strategies to reduce barriers and aid success”.

Leigh Academy Halley, in south-east London, received five “exceptional” grades for attendance and behaviour, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision.

Shaftesbury Primary School, in East London, got three “exceptional” grades for achievement, curriculum and teaching, and early years.

Trust CEO warns about ‘distressing’ inspection

Simon Beamish, chief executive of Leigh Academies Trust, which runs 16 secondaries, 13 primaries, two special schools and an all-through school, was “delighted” with the outcome of the inspection for Leigh Academy Halley.

However, he raised concerns about the inspection initially being incomplete. Inspectors returned for a third day to collect more evidence.

“The first inspection team had apparently failed to provide sufficient detail in the written evidence. We believe this is because they were following instructions from Ofsted not to be typing on their laptops during every activity, as inspectors had done under the previous framework,” he added.

Mr Beamish said the additional inspection time was “distressing for staff”.

“Ofsted is obviously trying to create a more humane approach to inspection, but I’m afraid this was not our experience on this occasion. We have never experienced an inspection which panned out in this way before, and hope to never again.”

Tim Croft, regional director at Redhill Academy Trust, which runs 10 secondary and 10 primary academies, welcomed the inspection report card for The Bolsover School in Derbyshire. The school received “expected standard” in all six evaluation areas.

“We did try to push for a ‘strong standard’ in a couple of areas, but it was made clear why we had not quite reached that level. That transparency was helpful - it gave us clarity on what needs to improve and why,” Mr Croft said.

However, he warned that the expectation of a secure fit rather than a best fit made achieving the “expected standard” “much tougher and required significant evidence gathering”. Under the secure fit approach, each standard within a grade must be met before that grade can be awarded.

You can now get the UK’s most-trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get ����Vlog magazine on and on