Ofsted inspection statistics 2026
By School Signal · Last updated 13 October 2026 · Refreshed monthly through the year
63.2% of the 2,619 state-funded schools in England inspected in 2026 under Ofsted's report cards were judged at the expected standard or better in every area, and 36.8% had at least one area below it, according to School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards.
These figures count the report cards Ofsted has published for state-funded schools in England (including academies, special schools and nurseries) with an inspection date in 2026. They do not include independent schools, most of which are inspected by ISI rather than Ofsted, colleges, or schools whose 2026 report has not yet been published. Report cards began in November 2025, so there are no single-word overall grades to count. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own inspectorates.
Key statistics
Grades
- 63.2% of 2,619 state schools inspected in 2026 under Ofsted's report cards were judged at the expected standard or better in every area (School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards).
- 36.8% had at least one area judged "needs attention" or "urgent improvement".
- 71 schools (2.7%) had at least one area judged "urgent improvement", the lowest grade.
- 92 schools (3.5%) were graded "exceptional" in at least one area.
Areas
- Achievement was the area schools most often fell short in: 28.8% were graded below the expected standard.
- Personal development and wellbeing had the most strong grades: 39.4% of schools were graded "strong standard" or "exceptional".
Safeguarding
- 11 of 2,619 schools (0.42%) did not meet Ofsted's safeguarding standards.
Previous grades
- 8.7% of schools previously rated Outstanding had at least one area graded below the expected standard, against 35.4% of those previously rated Good.
How many schools has Ofsted inspected in 2026?
Ofsted has published report cards for 2,619 state-funded schools in England inspected in 2026, the latest from September.
Reports are published a few weeks after an inspection, so recent months are incomplete until they arrive. This page is refreshed monthly through 2026.
Across England, 2,644 of 21,184 open state schools (12%) now have a report card. The rest are still described by their last inspection under the old framework, most of them with a single-word grade.
| Month inspected | Schools |
|---|---|
| January | 407 |
| February | 334 |
| March | 407 |
| April | 382 |
| May | 385 |
| June | 550 |
| July | 131 |
| September | 23 |
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards (School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards)
What grades are schools getting?
Most grades are "expected standard": 63.2% of schools inspected in 2026 met at least the expected standard in every area, and 36.8% had one or more areas below it.
Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate) in September 2024. Report cards, used from November 2025, grade each area on a five-point scale: exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention and urgent improvement. Safeguarding is judged separately as met or not met.
259 schools were graded "strong standard" or better in every area.
| Area | Schools | Exceptional | Strong standard | Expected standard | Needs attention | Urgent improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inclusion | 2,619 | 1.7% | 32.3% | 56.2% | 9.0% | 0.8% |
| Curriculum and teaching | 2,619 | 0.9% | 15.6% | 61.5% | 20.7% | 1.3% |
| Achievement | 2,619 | 1.5% | 15.6% | 54.1% | 26.8% | 2.0% |
| Attendance and behaviour | 2,597 | 1.2% | 29.6% | 53.2% | 14.9% | 1.1% |
| Personal development and wellbeing | 2,597 | 1.8% | 37.6% | 56.1% | 4.3% | 0.2% |
| Leadership and governance | 2,619 | 1.5% | 20.6% | 62.9% | 13.4% | 1.7% |
| Early years | 1,771 | 0.5% | 26.1% | 61.7% | 11.0% | 0.7% |
| Post-16 provision | 369 | 4.1% | 27.1% | 59.1% | 9.5% | 0.3% |
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards (School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards)
Which areas do schools most often fall short in?
Achievement: 28.8% of schools inspected in 2026 were graded "needs attention" or "urgent improvement" for it, more than any other area.
Personal development and wellbeing was the strongest area, with 39.4% graded "strong standard" or "exceptional". Early years and post-16 provision are only graded where a school has them.
- Achievement28.8%
- Curriculum and teaching22.0%
- Attendance and behaviour16.0%
- Leadership and governance15.1%
- Early years11.7%
- Inclusion9.8%
- Post-16 provision9.8%
- Personal development and wellbeing4.5%
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards
How many schools were judged "urgent improvement"?
71 of 2,619 schools inspected in 2026 (2.7%) had at least one area judged "urgent improvement", the lowest of the five grades.
By area, "urgent improvement" was given most often for achievement. A further 893 schools had an area at "needs attention" but none at "urgent improvement".
How many schools failed on safeguarding?
11 of 2,619 schools inspected in 2026 (0.42%) did not meet Ofsted's safeguarding standards.
Safeguarding is not graded on the five-point scale: a school either meets the standards or it does not.
Which schools were graded "exceptional"?
92 schools inspected in 2026 were graded "exceptional" in at least one area. Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School in Lancashire had the most exceptional grades, with 7.
| School | Council | Exceptional | Strong standard | Areas graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School | Lancashire | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Bishopshalt School | Hillingdon | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Oastlers School | Bradford | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet | Barnet | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Cleves Primary School | Newham | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Elmhurst Primary School | Newham | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Leigh Academy Oaks | Kent | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| The Tiffin Girls' School | Kingston upon Thames | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Watford Grammar School for Boys | Hertfordshire | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| College Green School and Services | Brent | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards
How do primary, secondary and special schools compare?
41.5% of secondary schools inspected in 2026 had an area below the expected standard, against 37.0% of primary schools.
| Phase | Schools | Expected or better in every area | Any area below expected | Any urgent improvement | Any exceptional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 47 | 87.2% | 12.8% | 4.3% | 8.5% |
| Primary | 1,851 | 63.0% | 37.0% | 2.2% | 1.5% |
| Secondary | 554 | 58.5% | 41.5% | 4.5% | 7.0% |
| All-through | 29 | 58.6% | 41.4% | 6.9% | 17.2% |
| Special | 119 | 74.8% | 25.2% | 1.7% | 9.2% |
| Other (alternative provision, post-16) | 19 | 89.5% | 10.5% | 0.0% | 26.3% |
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards (School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards)
How do schools do compared with their old Ofsted grade?
8.7% of schools previously rated Outstanding had at least one area below the expected standard on their report card, against 35.4% of schools previously rated Good.
The previous grade is the overall grade from each school's last graded inspection before report cards began on 10 November 2025, which may be several years old. The two frameworks measure different things, so this shows how schools have moved, not a like-for-like conversion.
| Previous grade | Schools | Expected or better in every area | Any area below expected | Any exceptional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | 172 | 91.3% | 8.7% | 22.1% |
| Good | 1,828 | 64.6% | 35.4% | 2.4% |
| Requires improvement | 313 | 36.7% | 63.3% | 0.3% |
| Inadequate | 24 | 37.5% | 62.5% | 0.0% |
Source: Ofsted school inspection report cards; Ofsted, monthly management information (School Signal analysis of Ofsted report cards)
Methodology
- Each school is counted once, using the report card for its inspection in 2026. Grades are read from the report cards as Ofsted publishes them on its reports website.
- "Below the expected standard" means "needs attention" or "urgent improvement". "Expected or better in every area" means no area at either of those grades.
- Area shares are of the schools graded in that area; early years and post-16 provision are graded only where a school has them. Areas that apply only to further education are left out.
- The previous grade is the overall effectiveness grade from the school's last graded inspection before 10 November 2025, from Ofsted's management information and inspection reports.
- Reports appear a few weeks after the inspection, so the latest months are incomplete until a later refresh. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
Sources and licence
- School inspection reports (report cards) - Ofsted. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Monthly management information: Ofsted's school inspections outcomes - Ofsted. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Cite this page
School Signal (2026). Ofsted inspection statistics 2026. https://www.schoolsignal.co.uk/statistics/ofsted-inspections-2026 (last updated 13 October 2026).
You are welcome to quote these figures with a link to this page.
Updates
- 13 October 2026: First published