Nine out of ten parents know the Ofsted rating of their child's school

Ofsted’s latest parents survey has found that nine out of ten parents know the Ofsted rating of their child’s school or childcare provider.

The survey, carried out by YouGov, found that Ofsted reports and the views of other parents are the two main sources that parents use when choosing a childcare provider, school or college for their child.

Ofsted has also published a new report considering the criticisms and advantages of the grading system. It concludes that the current four-point grading system of 'outstanding', 'good', 'requires improvement', or 'inadequate' will be retained.

‘Retaining the current grading system in education: some arguments and evidence’ argues that these inspection judgements provide parents with a useful headline indicator of provider quality, which is different from, but complements performance data.

The report lists a range of evidence on the high degree of public trust in Ofsted’s work that suggests that the current system is working for parents. It is also used as a trigger for intervention in schools by regional schools commissioners, local authorities, academy trust leaders and governors, when a school is judged as ‘inadequate’ overall.

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said: "Choosing the right childcare provider, school or college for your child is one of the most important decisions a parent will make. Parents use our reports to help them make that choice and to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of their child’s school. The grades are a reliable measure of quality. They are simple, they are well understood and they work for parents."

The 4-point scale was developed by Ofsted and has since been adopted as best practice across public sector inspectorates.