87% of schools in England are now rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, according to the annual report published this week — up from 82% five years ago and the highest proportion since Ofsted began its current inspection regime.
The Headlines
Of England's 22,000 state-funded schools, 5,600 (25%) are rated Outstanding, 13,800 (62%) Good, 2,400 (11%) Requires Improvement, and 200 (0.9%) Inadequate.
The number of schools in special measures — Ofsted's most serious category — has fallen to its lowest level in fifteen years, reflecting both genuine improvement and critics' concerns that the inspection regime has become easier to pass through coaching and preparation.
Where the Problems Persist
The headline figures conceal significant variation. In the most deprived local authority areas, the proportion of schools rated Good or Outstanding is 12 percentage points lower than in the least deprived. Schools serving predominantly disadvantaged pupils are significantly more likely to be rated lower.
Geographically, the North East and coastal communities continue to have lower proportions of Good and Outstanding schools than London and the South East — a pattern that has proved resistant to policy interventions over several decades.
The Ofsted Reform Context
The new single-word judgment system introduced in 2024, replacing the previous four-point scale, has made year-on-year comparisons complex. Critics argue the new system is less informative for parents; supporters say it avoids the cliff-edge effects of the old Outstanding/Good boundary.
