To ask if it's now super hard for a school to get "Outstanding" from Ofsted?

[balloonsballoonsballons]

My DDs school has just received its latest Ofsted result. It's gone from outstanding to good.
Personally I'm not bothered or worried. The school is great, DD finished next July and has had a positive experience there. But I feel quite sad for the head and staff who work super hard anyway and will now be trying to work even harder. Of course they should strive to be the best, but is it realistic?

My understanding is that the parameters have changed. I'd be really interested to hear from those who know about these things to explain it to me.

I'm also curious to see if it has an impact on house prices? It's long been known as one of the best schools in the area with a tiny catchment so house prices in that catchment are higher than outside (again it doesn't bother me, we've lived here a very long time and intend to stay into our senior years, but i am surrounded by young families who've spent extortionate amounts on houses)

Please educate me!

I think so. Outstanding schools tend to tick all the right boxes which makes me always wonder what's being sidelined to do this.

IME it's always something and I'm wary of outstanding schools because of this. Mostly as well because many of those haven't been inspected in 8-10 years around my way!

It use to be outstanding, good, satisfactory etc.

Now it's outstanding, good, requires improvement etc.

So beforehand it seems you could be satisfactory or good for the most part and now you are good or outstanding or not good enough.

Nearly every school around here is good and there's a vast difference in what they provide. I feel ofsted gradings have lost their meaning personally and I work in education!

I agree with you but I suppose I meant all the effort that goes into setting exactly the right level of questions daily, when actually overall it probably makes very little difference. I teach a mixed year class in primary - in maths I often have 6 or 7 different levels of work, which might involve 2 tasks for each group. And that's just one lesson out of 6 or so in a day. It's exhausting!

There is also research to the contrary.

I a always shocked when parents talk about Ofsted gradings on here as if they have any validity. I used to work in school improvement and have seen the self-fulfilling prophecy of the Ofsted merry-go-round first hand in several different settings. It doesn’t stand up to any critical scrutiny.