Ofsted Report Cards Transform UK School Inspections: What Parents and Schools Need to Know

Introduction: A Historic Shift in School Inspection

Ofsted has introduced a new inspection model from 10 November 2025, with familiar single-word grades of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate no longer appearing. Schools will receive a detailed report card that aims to give parents and staff a clearer and more balanced picture of school performance. This represents one of the most significant reforms in UK education inspection history, affecting thousands of schools, early years settings, and further education providers across the nation.

The New Five-Point Grading System

The new grades are: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, and Urgent improvement. Following a consultation last year, Ofsted abandoned overall headline grades in favour of a five-point scale in 16 individual areas – including inclusion for the first time, with education providers awarded grades from ‘exceptional’, ‘strong standard’ and ‘expected standard’ to ‘needs attention’ and ‘urgent improvement’. Ofsted made these changes following concerns from professionals and parents about the terminology used to describe grades.

What Report Cards Include

The new Ofsted report card provides nuance for parents and providers, combining at-a-glance grades with narrative summaries of strengths and areas for improvement. A detailed report will sit below an overview grid and provide a narrative for each evaluation area, explaining the strengths and areas for development. Inspection will now cover 16 individual areas, including inclusion for the first time.

Early Implementation Results

Early inspections under the new revised framework began in November last year, and were led only by the most senior Ofsted inspectors. New report card inspections were introduced last week, with routine inspections restarting on December 1. Leaders said the inspections are more collaborative with a definite shift in tone, with inspectors praising what schools were doing well and being a lot more open.

Significance for Parents and Schools

Ofsted has set out a renewed approach to education inspection that will give parents better and more detailed information, is fairer on professionals, and will help raise standards for all children. The move to multi area report cards aims to give parents clearer information and provide a fairer reflection of each school’s context and strengths. This transformation ensures families receive comprehensive insights into educational provision rather than relying on a single overall judgement, whilst schools receive more nuanced feedback on specific areas requiring improvement.