Ofsted: hundreds of outstanding schools reinspected with 80% dropping a grade, including some in Preston, Chorley and South Ribble

Today (November 22), Ofsted has published a commentary on inspection outcomes for previously exempt outstanding schools reinspected in 2021/22.

From 2012, schools that had been judged outstanding were legally exempt from further regular inspection, unless there were specific concerns. This was lifted in 2020.

Today’s commentary notes that over 80% (308) of these schools that had a graded inspection last year did not retain the outstanding grade. The majority were judged to be good, but around a fifth were rated requires improvement (17%) or inadequate (4%).

When selecting schools for inspection, Ofsted prioritised those that had gone the longest without inspection, which for some was as long as 15 years, whilst the average was 13.

When the exemption ended, 43% of exempt schools had not had a graded inspection for at least 10 years, and 38% between 5-10 years. Since their last inspection many schools will have experienced significant change, including a new headteacher, governors, or becoming an academy.

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said: “Regular inspection gives parents confidence in the quality of their child’s school. Exempting outstanding schools deprived parents of up-to-date information. It also left a lot of schools without the constructive challenge that regular inspection provides.

“The exemption was a policy founded on the hope that high standards, once achieved, would never drop, and that freedom from inspection might drive them even higher. These outcomes show that removing a school from scrutiny does not make it better.”

There were 3,900 outstanding primary and secondary schools when the exemption was introduced, and 3,400 were outstanding when it ended.

Throuhgout the exemption period, some 1,400 schools remained outstanding because they were not inspected, about 1,900 ceased to be outstanding (usually after an inspection triggered by a risk assessment), and 1,500 additional schools were judged outstanding.

Which outstanding schools in Preston and surrounding areas have been reinspected so far?

-Our Lady's Catholic High School: dropped to good in a report released on November 14.

-Broughton High School: remained oustanding in a report released on October 31.

-Gillibrand Primary School: remained oustanding in a report released on September 29

-Runshaw College: dropped to good in a report released on June 28.

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