Some of the 308 schools no longer rated outstanding had not been inspected for 15 years, Ofsted says.
Image source, Getty ImagesMost of the outstanding schools in England inspected last year have been downgraded, according to a report from the schools watchdog.
Some of them had not been looked at for 15 years and many would have experienced “significant change” such as new head teachers, Ofsted said.
But the National Education Union (NEU) said Ofsted’s findings were “frequently unreliable”.
The Department for Education said most schools remained good or outstanding.
Between 2012 and 2020, schools judged outstanding were revisited only if specific concerns were raised.
Ofsted said 80% of outstanding schools it had revisited last year had been downgraded – 308 primary and secondary schools.
Most were bumped down to “good” – but 17% were told they needed improvement and 4% were “inadequate”.
Ofsted said it had prioritised schools that had gone the longest without inspection, when it had been deciding which schools to look at last year.
On average, the schools it visited had not been inspected for 13 years – but some had gone as long as 15 without an inspection.
‘Ill-informed inspection’
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said the exemption from frequent visits for outstanding schools had “deprived parents of up-to-date information” and meant schools had been without “constructive challenge”.
“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,” she said.
“These outcomes show that removing a school from scrutiny does not make it better.”
NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said Ofsted’s findings were “frequently unreliable and invalid”.
“Far from demonstrating the value of Ofsted, this report shows that the inspectorate makes no material positive difference to schools,” he said.
Ofsted was “driving good teachers away” and “punitive and ill-informed inspection” slowing down improvements.
‘Rapidly improved’
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said an increase in funding for the next two years, in last week’s Autumn Statement, would only return real-terms per pupil spending to its 2010 level.
A Department for Education spokesman said the government had “rapidly improved school standards, thanks to the tireless efforts of school leaders”.
“Today, 87% of schools are now rated as good or outstanding – up from 68% in 2010,” he said.
Ofsted aimed to inspect every school by the summer of 2025, the spokesman added.