Primary schools previously graded as “outstanding” were “more likely” to be downgraded than secondaries under the new Ofsted inspection regime, an analysis of reports published by Ofsted this week shows.
The reports, which were analysed by FFT Education Datalab, show that 84 per cent of the 68 previously “outstanding” primary schools inspected in the autumn 2021 term were downgraded.
This is almost double the rate of previously “outstanding” downgraded secondary schools, which saw just under half (47 per cent) of the 15 inspected receive a lower grade.
In the new Ofsted framework that came into force from the autumn 2021 term, exemption from routine inspections for schools previously graded “outstanding” was removed. Overall, 77 per cent of these schools were downgraded.
Before this change, grade 1 (“outstanding”) schools were only re-inspected if an Ofsted risk assessment suggested a decline in standards.
Despite Covid pressures, the report shows that there were only 15 fewer full inspections across all schools in 2021 (453), compared with 2019 (468).
Last year, Tes revealed that one in three requests from school leaders to defer inspections owing to the pandemic had been turned down by Ofsted in the autumn term.
Section 8 inspection results
Results showed there were proportionately more primary schools with “concerns” raised in section 8 inspections in the 2021 round when compared with 2019.
Section 8 inspections, also known as “short inspections”, look at schools previously graded as “outstanding” or “good”.
Unless schools are found to be “inadequate”, section 8 inspections do not result in a grade change. However, concerns can be raised, with some schools signposted towards a section 5 inspection next.
Primary headteacher Michael Tidd suggested the larger number of primary schools being downgraded was due to “more specificity” in the primary part of the Ofsted framework, meaning it was easier for schools to be marked down.
”[Ofsted is] really specific about making sure children are taking home books that are matched with the phonics that are in their teaching, so actually it’s really easy to fall down,” he said.
Number of ‘outstanding’ schools expected to half
Speaking at the Schools and Academies Show last November, chief inspector Amanda Spielman said she expected the numbers of schools rated as “outstanding” to fall as a result of the changes.
“It just isn’t realistic to expect that every ‘outstanding’ school has maintained standards over so many years,” she said, adding that she did expect there to be “some rebalancing of grades”.
Ms Spielman previously stated that she expected the number of “outstanding” schools to halve to around one in 10.
Ofsted inspections were paused in the final week of term before the Christmas break owing to Omicron concerns.
