Read about the changes to Ofsted's School Inspection Handbook for 2024. We’re working on a more detailed summary in our article on Ofsted changes – select 'save for later' at the top of that article to be notified when it’s ready.
Graded inspections no longer include an overall effectiveness grade
Inspectors will continue to give grades (outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate) for the 4 key areas of inspection:
- Evaluating quality of education
- Evaluating behaviour and attitudes
- Evaluating personal development
- Evaluating leadership and management
They will also make provision judgements for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and sixth form, where relevant.
If any of the 4 key areas are judged 'inadequate', and/or safeguarding is judged to be ineffective, the school will be placed in a formal category of concern. This is explained in more detail in paragraphs 190 and 191 of the inspection