Nearly half of “outstanding” schools have been downgraded after Ofsted restarted inspections of top schools because of concerns some had not been assessed for as long as a decade.
Data from the regulator shows that during the three months to the end of November, 47 per cent of schools previously judged as outstanding had been stripped of their top rating after inspections this term.
The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) said that schools that faced downgrading during the pandemic may feel “hard done by”.
Last week the Department for Education announced that Ofsted inspections would not go ahead this week to ensure schools could plan for the Omicron variant. The National Education Union and the NASUWT teaching union have called for inspections to be paused until after February half-term.
In October last year the DfE backed removing the exemption from inspection for outstanding schools and colleges, which was introduced in 2012. The watchdog prioritised inspections of previously exempt schools that had gone the longest without assessment.
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Yesterday Ofsted said that more than half of the 99 schools visited between September 1 and November 30 this year, which were previously rated as outstanding, had not been inspected for more than ten years. The data suggests that 36 per cent of schools previously judged outstanding fell one rating to “good”, 9 per cent fell two grades to “requires improvement” and 2 per cent received the lowest rating: “inadequate”.
However, schools across England have improved in comparison with the period before the pandemic, with 83 per cent judged “good” or “outstanding” over the past term. This compares with 77 per cent of schools rated good or outstanding between September 2019 — when the new inspection framework was introduced — and March last year, when inspections were suspended.
Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector, said: “I am fully aware that schools are still facing very significant challenges as a result of the pandemic. So I’m very pleased to report that schools are improving and being recognised for doing so.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said: “We’re delighted for schools that have done well in Ofsted inspections this term, particularly as this has been achieved in extremely challenging circumstances. Schools have been hit by wave after wave of pupil and teacher absence because of the impact of Covid, and it is unfathomable that Ofsted has ploughed on with routine inspections regardless. Those schools which have been downgraded may well feel very hard done by.”
