Two in three parents support Ofsted’s proposed report cards for schools – poll

More than two in three parents prefer Ofsted’s proposed report cards for schools over current inspection reports, a survey has suggested.

The majority of parents said the report cards were easy to understand (86%) and they found the use of colour coding to grade schools helpful (84%), according to the poll commissioned by the watchdog.

The findings come after education unions criticised Ofsted’s proposed inspection reforms for being “worse” than the system they would replace.

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has called for the implementation of any new approach to be delayed until September 2026 to allow “proper time” to consider the sector’s “major concerns”.

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

Schools could be graded across eight to 10 areas of a provision – including attendance, inclusion, behaviour and wellbeing – using a colour-coded five-point scale.

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

A YouGov online poll, of 1,090 parents in England, suggests that 67% said they prefer the report cards over current inspection reports.

The survey, which ran between March 5 and 11, found that 78% of parents agreed the information in report cards would be useful to them.

The Government announced last year that headline Ofsted grades for overall effectiveness for schools in England would be scrapped.

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

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

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

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

“In that way a school’s report card will be much closer to a child’s school report.

“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 add that the proposals “are not set in stone”.

Sir Martyn will say: “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.”

Last month, Ofsted launched a consultation on its plans to introduce a report card system for grading schools in England.

In its response to the consultation, the ASCL called on Ofsted and the Government to delay the implementation of any new inspection approach to allow time for proper consideration and to “adjust the proposals accordingly”.

He said: “We doubt that parents would support a system which worsens teacher shortages and is at significant risk of being unreliable and inconsistent.

“A more effective and sustainable approach would be a three-point grading scale – of either ‘secure’, ‘attention needed’ or ‘causing concern’ – with an area 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.”

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

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

“Extending the number of areas for judgement would only pile more pressure on to schools and make it almost impossible for inspectors to reach a reliable judgment in just two days.”

He added: “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.”

Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: “Credit where it is due, the Department for Education and Ofsted have leaned into the role of parents in the education of their children and we welcome how parents have been prioritised with the new report card.

“The new report card will ensure no school can get top marks without getting parent engagement right.

“We know this can add up to two or three years to a child’s education, which is why it is important we lock it into new-style Ofsted report cards.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said: “High and rising school standards are at the heart of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the chance to achieve and thrive.

“It is great to see parents are in support of Ofsted’s new report cards which intend to give a more complete picture of school performance.

“As part of this we have launched a public consultation on our proposals to reform the school accountability system and our new Rise teams, backed by an initial investment of £20 million, will act as a catalyst for school improvement across the country.”