Your guide to an ungraded Ofsted inspection

Get a handle on what happens before, during and after an ungraded inspection, and what Ofsted will be looking for, so you and your staff feel ready.

Last reviewed on 15 October 2024See updates
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Contents
  1. How formerly exempt 'outstanding' schools are inspected
  2. What's an ungraded inspection?
  3. Before the inspection
  4. During the inspection
  5. Inspection results
  6. After the inspection

How formerly exempt 'outstanding' schools are inspected

Following the removal of the 'outstanding' exemption, all formerly exempt schools will now receive an inspection before July 2025.

Whether this inspection is graded or ungraded depends on when your last graded inspection took place:

  • If you last received a graded inspection before September 2015, you'll have a graded inspection
  • If you last received a graded inspection after September 2015, you'll have an ungraded inspection

If an initial ungraded inspection indicates that your work may not be as strong as it was in your previous inspection, Ofsted will normally carry out a graded inspection within the next 12 months, or as soon as possible after that. The inspection will be before 1 August 2026.

This is explained in paragraphs 72 and 73 of the School Inspection Handbook.

Find out more about inspection timings in our other article.

This type of inspection focuses on determining whether your school has taken effective action to maintain the