School inspections are changing

Closes 26 Nov 2025

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Section 3: Use of grades in inspection

 

 

 

HM Inspectors currently use a six-point grading scale to provide a high-level summary of how well a school is performing in key areas.

Grade

What it means

Excellent

Outstanding and sector-leading

Very good

Major strengths

Good

Important strengths, with some areas for improvement

Satisfactory

Strengths just outweigh weaknesses

Weak

Important weaknesses

Unsatisfactory

Major weaknesses

Grades are published in the school’s inspection report and are intended to provide a clear and consistent way of reporting findings.

We would like your views on the use of the six-point grading scale to summarise how good a school is and whether this approach should be kept.

3.1. To what extent do you agree or disagree that using grades in inspections help provide a clear overview of how well a school is doing?
3.2. To what extent do you agree or disagree that grades help schools, parents, and local authorities/proprietors of independent schools understand what needs to improve?
3.3. To what extent do you agree or disagree that grades can oversimplify what is happening in a school?
3.4. Do you think school inspections should continue to use grades to summarise how well a school is performing?
3.5. If grades continue to be used, what should happen to the current six-point scale? Please select the one option that best reflects your view.
3.6. If school inspections no longer used grades to evaluate and report on key areas, how should inspection reports show the quality of education in a school?

Please select all options that apply.