Ofsted parents’ survey on report cards ‘misses the point’

An Ofsted survey showing parents’ support for its planned report card inspection system “misses the point”, headteachers’ leaders have warned.

More than two in three parents told a survey commissioned by Ofsted that they would prefer the inspectorate’s proposed inspection report cards over the current school inspection reports.

Ofsted is planning to bring in report cards and a new inspection framework in the autumn term of the 2025-26 academic year.

Most parents said the planned report cards were easy to understand (86 per cent) and they found the use of colour coding to grade schools helpful (84 per cent).

But headteachers’ leaders, responding to the survey, have raised concerns about Ofsted’s plans.

Ofsted: Parents support inspection report cards

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said Ofsted has “missed the point” with this survey.

“While some parents may find colour coding useful, it will matter very little if the grades and judgements are as unreliable as most professionals expect they will be,” he said.

“If Ofsted and the government are serious about creating a framework which truly meets the needs of parents and their children, these plans need a really significant rethink, working much more closely with the profession.”

Under Ofsted’s proposals, schools would be graded across eight to 10 areas of practice - including attendance, inclusion, behaviour and wellbeing - using a colour-coded five-point scale.

They would receive a rating for each of these areas of practice - from the red-coloured “causing concern” to orange-coloured “attention needed”, through the green shades of “secure”, “strong” and “exemplary”.

In the YouGov online poll of 1,090 parents in England, 67 per cent said they would prefer the report cards over current inspection reports.

Some 78 per cent of parents, taking part in the poll earlier this month, agreed that the information in report cards would be useful to them.

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In its response to Ofsted’s ongoing consultation on the proposed changes, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) calls for the implementation of any new approach to be delayed until September 2026 to allow “proper time” for the sector’s “major concerns” to be considered.

Commenting on Ofsted’s parents’ survey, ASCL general secretary Pepe Di’lasio said: ”We doubt that parents would support a system which worsens teacher shortages and is at significant risk of being unreliable and inconsistent.”

ASCL also raises concerns about Ofsted’s plan to create a new five-point grading scale.

Mr Di’lasio said a more effective and sustainable approach would be for Ofsted to move to a three-point grading scale - of either “secure”, “attention needed” or “causing concern” - with a section in inspection reports to highlight exceptional practice.

“This would provide parents with clear and reliable information while avoiding unnecessary harm to the wellbeing of the education workforce,” he said.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver, in a speech to charity Parentkind today, is expected to say that the report cards will help parents to engage meaningfully with a school “on the issues that need attention”.

He will add: “Going back to my art teacher days, the one-word grade paints a monochrome picture of a school. We want to paint it in colour.”

But he will say that the proposals “are not set in stone”. “I’m sure there are things that could be better, things we could refine. But we are encouraged that parents seem to support the broad approach that we have set out,” Sir Martyn is expected to say.

The government announced last year that headline Ofsted grades for schools’ overall effectiveness would be scrapped.

Previously Ofsted awarded one of four single-phrase inspection judgements: “outstanding”, “good”, “requires improvement” and “inadequate”.

The move came after Ofsted faced criticism following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry.

Ms Perry took her own life in January 2023 after an Ofsted report downgraded her school, Caversham Primary School in Reading, from the highest rating to the lowest rating over safeguarding concerns.

Behaviour ‘most useful evaluation area’

When asked in the Ofsted survey which of the proposed inspection evaluation areas they considered to be the most useful, around half of parents ranked behaviour and attitudes highest (51 per cent), followed closely by personal development and wellbeing (48 per cent).

Last month Ofsted launched a consultation on its plans to introduce the report card inspection system.

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