Ofsted ratings: year‑on‑year trends and current breakdown

This article summarises long‑run changes in Ofsted ratings across England and the current distribution of outcomes. It highlights shifts in the shares of Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement and Inadequate, and explains how we calculate snapshots (latest per URN) versus historical year‑end cut‑offs.

Method: for each year we take the latest record per URN up to 31 December (or year end) and, separately, compute a current snapshot using the most recent non‑null Ofsted rating row per URN. Percentages are school‑count based. Use this alongside local authority and trust filters to explore variation.

Key insight: nationally, the long‑term trend shows a reduction in Outstanding shares with a corresponding rise in Good, while the combined share of Requires Improvement and Inadequate varies by region and phase.