CatchmentFox

Ofsted report cards explained

In November 2025 Ofsted stopped giving schools a single overall grade. Here’s what the new report cards actually tell you — and what they don’t.

The single grade is gone

For years, a school got one word — Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. That is over. Under the report-card framework (live from 10 November 2025), inspectors grade several areas of a school separately, and there is deliberately no overall verdict.

The five-point scale

Each area is graded, best to worst:

  1. Exceptional
  2. Strong standard
  3. Expected standard
  4. Needs attention
  5. Urgent improvement

“Expected standard” is the middle grade and means the school is doing what’s expected — it is not a failing grade. Safeguarding is handled separately and simply recorded as Met or Not met.

What gets graded

The evaluation areas include inclusion, curriculum and teaching, achievement, attendance and behaviour, personal development and wellbeing, and leadership and governance — plus early years or sixth form where they apply.

Old grades still around

Most schools haven’t been re-inspected yet, so you’ll still see old grades for a while. When you compare schools, check the inspection date: an old “Good” from 2019 and a new report card are not the same kind of judgement. Here’s how we handle that when we colour schools.

Common questions

Does Ofsted still give an overall grade?
No. Since November 2025, Ofsted report cards grade each evaluation area separately on a five-point scale. There is no single overall word like the old “Outstanding” or “Good”.
What are the new grades?
The five-point scale, best to worst, is: Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement. Safeguarding is reported separately as simply “Met” or “Not met”.
Can I compare a new report card to an old Outstanding or Good grade?
Not directly — Ofsted says the old and new grades are not comparable. A school inspected before September 2024 still shows its old grade until it is re-inspected under the new framework.