How to Use Ofsted Reports When Choosing a School

Choosing the right school for your child is important because you’re putting into motion the stepping stones towards his or her future. This may seem like an overwhelming task, but with some early planning and preparation, you’ll be able to make a well informed decision. Finding a school that has a good location and reputation may not be enough, which is why Ofsted reports are a good extra source of information.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Narrow down your school choices depending on criteria necessary to you as a parent. The most common criteria would be the school’s location, so you can start from there.
2. Next, gather as much information about the school as possible. Ask friends and acquaintances for personal opinions, make visits to the school to view how things are run and to meet teachers or read the schools’ most recent Ofsted reports. The Ofsted reports show you investigative data such as the school’s performance compared to others, lesson observations and the school’s effectiveness in education (amongst other things).
3. Ofsted reports consist of information about the school such as its history, staff, and recent improvements it has made. It also investigates how good the school is by noting what the school does well and what else can be done to improve it. As Ofsted reports contain in-depth information about the school, they are the best way to find out detailed information, often unavailable elsewhere.
4. Use information in Ofsted reports to find out the opinions of parents, staff and current students at a school.
5. Ofsted reports also contain information on academic standards at schools, and if things are getting better or getting worse. If your child is particularly gifted in one subject area, you might be wise to find a school that has a history of excellence in this subject.
6. View Ofsted reports on the official Ofsted website. The reports are easily accessible; you can search for the school using the Ofsted Unique Reference Number (URN) of the school.

Tips & Warnings

• Ofsted reports may seem overwhelming. There is a large amount of information available to you, but after reading through a few reports, you’ll find that there are certain things you’ll be looking out for.
• Make a list of your criteria and narrow down your searches, then write down the pros and cons of each school so that you’ll view the information more clearly.

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