Ofsted stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, which is a UK government department responsible for inspecting schools and other social care services for children. During inspections, Ofsted inspectors make judgments on “overall effectiveness” of schools, as well as four key judgment categories: the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The four possible Ofsted ratings that a school can receive are:

• Grade 1: Outstanding
• Grade 2: Good
• Grade 3: Requires Improvement
• Grade 4: Inadequate

An Outstanding school will receive Grade 1 for most, if not all, inspection categories, meaning they provide the highest quality education and care for their children. They will also not receive a Grade 3 or Grade 4 in any category. A Good school will receive Grade 2 for most inspection categories, meaning they are effective in delivering high-quality education and care. A school that Requires Improvement will receive Grade 3, meaning it is not yet a good school but is not inadequate. An Inadequate school will receive Grade 4, meaning it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education and care.

Ofsted ratings have the benefits of offering clear, easy-to-understand judgments to schools (and parents) on key areas inspected in the Ofsted framework. According to a YouGov survey in 2021, 84% of parents who read the report found it helpful, while seven out of 10 parents felt that the Ofsted report was a reliable source of information. Meanwhile, awareness of this report has remained high throughout the years, with 94% of parents agreeing they have read the Ofsted Report or heard of it.