Ofsted inspections usually occur every four years for schools previously judged as "good" or "outstanding." Schools rated as "requires improvement" typically receive a graded inspection within 2.5 years. New schools are inspected within the first three years, generally in the third year. Schools judged "inadequate" are placed in a category of concern and usually become sponsored academies, and are not regularly monitored by Ofsted unless there are safeguarding concerns. Additionally, all schools can be inspected at any time if there are significant concerns, but routine inspections follow these general timeframes. From 2024, Ofsted no longer gives overall effectiveness grades during graded inspections, which may affect how inspection timing is calculated moving forward. In summary:
- Good or Outstanding schools: inspection every 4 years (section 8 or section 5 inspection)
- Requires Improvement schools: graded inspection within 30 months (2.5 years)
- Inadequate schools: monitored differently, usually converted to sponsored academies
- New schools: inspected within first 3 years
- Ofsted can inspect anytime if there are concerns
This means inspections are usually every few years depending on previous results but can happen more urgently if needed.
