{"id":245612,"date":"2026-04-30T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T08:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=245612"},"modified":"2026-04-30T10:45:56","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:45:56","slug":"ofsted-more-inclusive-schools-more-likely-to-be-graded-down-analysis-suggests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/ofsted-more-inclusive-schools-more-likely-to-be-graded-down-analysis-suggests\/","title":{"rendered":"Ofsted: More inclusive schools more likely to be graded down, analysis suggests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ofsted is more likely to downgrade schools with poorer intakes or more pupils with SEND for their achievement, attendance and behaviour, new union analysis suggests.<\/p>\n

The use of national averages to grade achievement and attendance in the new Ofsted framework has caused criticism from leaders since it launched in December.<\/p>\n

They argue it is unfair on more inclusive schools<\/a>\u00a0and could penalise those<\/a> serving disadvantaged communities.<\/p>\n

New analysis of 650 Ofsted inspections by school leaders’ union NAHT has renewed these concerns.<\/p>\n

To achieve the middle \u2018expected standard\u2019 grade for attendance and behaviour, overall attendance must be \u201cbroadly in line with national averages or shows an improving trend over time\u201d, according to Ofsted’s inspection toolkit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile the \u2018expected standard\u2019 for achievement requires pupils\u2019 attainment and progress in national tests and exams \u201care broadly in line with national averages\u201d.<\/p>\n

Schools with higher disadvantage graded down<\/h2>\n

NAHT’s analysis shows one-third of schools with above-average pupil eligibility for free school meals \u2013 a proxy measure of deprivation \u2013 received a \u2018needs attention\u2019 judgment for achievement.<\/p>\n

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Meanwhile, less than one-fifth (18 per cent) of schools with below-average free school meals eligibility were rated \u2018needs attention\u2019.<\/p>\n

There was a similar pattern for attendance and behaviour.<\/p>\n

Almost one-quarter (23 per cent) of schools with above-average free school meals eligibility received \u2018needs attention\u2019, compared to just 10 per cent of schools with below-average eligibility.<\/p>\n

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SEND inclusion link<\/h2>\n

Schools with a higher proportion of pupils with special education needs and disabilities also appeared more likely to be graded down on attendance and behaviour.<\/p>\n

NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said this “should ring serious alarm bells” for the government\u2019s ambition for more pupils with SEND to be educated in mainstream schools.<\/p>\n

Twenty per cent of those with above-average numbers of SEND pupils were graded \u2018needs attention\u2019, compared to nine per cent of those with below-average SEND.<\/p>\n

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The analysis showed that across all schools, achievement had the highest proportion of \u2018needs attention\u2019 (25 per cent) or \u2018urgent improvement\u2019 grades (3 per cent), followed by curriculum and teaching (19 per cent and 2 per cent), and attendance and behaviour (13 per cent and 1 per cent).<\/p>\n

‘An impossible demand’ from Ofsted<\/h2>\n

Whiteman described the requirement for schools to meet or exceed national averages as “an impossible demand”.<\/p>\n

“While it may not have been Ofsted\u2019s intention, the expectation that results meet crude statistical averages means that schools serving the most deprived communities face an uphill battle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ofsted declined to comment. The inspectorate will be publishing official data next month on inspections that have taken place since the revised framework was launched, along with analysis.<\/p>\n

At leaders\u2019 union ASCL\u2019s annual conference last month, Ofsted chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver attempted to address the criticism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He said he would “never acquiesce to the quiet curse of low expectations that would see Ofsted prioritise context over outcomes for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children\u201d.<\/p>\n

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He claimed that where disadvantaged and vulnerable children were underperforming, critics \u201cargue we should recognise the work and the effort \u2013 and downplay disappointing outcomes”.<\/p>\n

He said Ofsted would “identify the contextual challenges being faced, but we can never downplay the disappointing outcomes”.<\/p>\n

‘Some schools face greater challenges’<\/h2>\n

Whiteman said leaders wanted pupils “to achieve the very best outcomes they are capable of” but due to context, “for some schools that is a significantly greater challenge than others.”<\/p>\n

\u201cRecognising the challenges and barriers to pupils\u2019 progress is to engage with their lived reality. It does not signal any kind of \u2018bigotry of low expectations,\u2019 as Ofsted\u2019s HM chief inspector has claimed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder Ofsted\u2019s system, schools may do an incredible job in helping pupils who face all manner of challenges in their lives to progress from a poor starting point but still be marked down if overall test scores are below national averages.”<\/p>\n

He said it also “actively penalise[s]” schools that are more inclusive of children with SEND.<\/p>\n

The findings came ahead of NAHT\u2019s annual conference, which is taking place in Belfast this weekend (May 1-2).<\/p>\n

Delegates will debate and vote on motions, including a call for \u201curgent, meaningful reform of the inspection system\u2026which continues to present a danger to the health and safety of school leaders\u201d and a concerns that \u201cdata driven performance measures\u2026unfairly penalises inclusive schools\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Analysis of more than 650 Ofsted reports renews concern around use of 'crude' national averages<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314902,"featured_media":245698,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[25,890],"post-theme":[2378],"class_list":["post-245612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-ofsted","tag-schools","post-theme-ofsted"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t