How to under Ofsted and parent view

[Lieger]

*Edit - messed up the title. I mean understand, obviously!

We’re looking at two schools for DS for 2025. Both have recent Ofsted reports:

• School 1 is outstanding, but less popular with parents (80% recommend on parent view, parents have some issues with bullying)
• School 2 is Ofsted good but gets glowing feedback on parent view (as an example, 96% would recommend)

I find reading the actual reports is difficult - it’s like they’re written in a code I don’t really understand. Can anyone help explain why a school would be more popular with Ofsted than with parents and vice versa?

Parents look at whether their child is happy and learning, teachers going the extra mile etc. Daily life really.

Ofsted looks at paperwork and a snapshot of the school and data.

Percentages can be misleading. 96% of 50 respondents is different to 86% of 500 respondents.
Is it legacy outstanding or newly awarded? Schools get outstanding for a reason but a good school with happy parents will be equally as good. Visit both and decide which one you like best.

Both Ofsted reports are recent (in the last couple of years). Schools are similar sizes and both had around 300 responses on Parent View.

@Tristar15 why do schools get outstanding? I have visited both but Ofsted are better placed than me to judge really because they have properly observed lessons. I was leaning towards the ‘good’ school because its local reputation is really good, tallying with the parent view results. I’m just wondering why Ofsted were less keen on this school than other local schools, quite a few of which are outstanding.

Children making less progress?

Outstanding school better at keeping records and evidencing?
What is the attainment 8 and progress 8 scores for the two schools?
Unless there was a massive difference then I would choose the school with the better parent view responses.

@Lieger , Ofsted do more than observe lessons, as the other pp saids to do with data and progress, safeguarding paperwork, curriculum implementation etc, in SW London the grammar schools such as Tiffins Boys have been moved to Good for reasons such as above despite it being a highly sought after academically selective school.

We moved from an outstanding school to a good school and the difference was night and day. The good school cared for the students, the outstanding school cared about paperwork and attendance.

I've been a school governor during Ofsted. We pretty much knew it would be "Good" before they even came. We knew we had good results, good teachers, and happy children. We also knew that in some areas, paperwork wasn't quite up to scratch (it was a focus point at the time).

The ofsted report had things like teaching as Outstanding... but overall it was Good, because of that one issue.

As a parent, I do find the reports useful to pick up the failings of the school... and am interested in what they ate doing to sort it. But I don't think there is much difference between Outstanding and Good really. Except bragging rights.

All those reports are telling you is that either of those schools will provide your child with a good level of education. They are both well run and well managed overall. They are safe and mostly happy places to be.
Both the parents opinions also tell you that your child will most probably be happy there and that you will be content with what school provides.
No school is perfect as all people are looking for different things.
Now you have to go with your instincts about which one felt right. Which ethos suits your child best.

Thanks @Smartiepants79 but my instincts aren’t helping me much. What I want for my kid specifically is really great teaching but I don’t feel the Ofsted reports or my visits have given much insight into that.

Habe you looked at the progress scores for each school?.
https://www.gov.uk/school-performance-tables

I

A good ofsted/an outstanding ofsted the differences are unlikely to be in the quality of teaching. Just that the outstanding one is better at admin, ofsted jargon and selling themselves.
The difference between the two would be unlikely to be recognised by the kids.
Both will provide great teaching. You have to look beyond that to the many others things that are just as important. Such as pastoral ethos and behaviour management.

Progress for both is above average, but the outstanding school has a better score (something like P8 0.6 for the school 2 and 0.9 for school 1 (the outstanding)). School 1 has a mixed intake but an extremely motivated and ambitious SLT. It is known to be strict with high expectations and an ambitious curriculum. School 2 has a very middle class intake and families are supportive of the school. It is also known to have high expectations but is slightly more ‘cuddly’. I don’t want an exam factory but I do want excellent teaching- I want my DS to leave school as a thoughtful human with critical thinking skills.

Ok helpful to know thanks.

I read Ofsted reports, but I have found them only to be of limited use. The way they lay out the reports often seems to change between the inspection periods and so comparisons are very difficult. I also find the reports, particularly the recent ones to be so, so light with very little information or insight. I personally take the "Good" category to mean "Ok/satisfactory" - as so many schools are in this group - some no doubt just getting over the line, others closer to the outstanding rating and a lot in the middle!
You do right to go and visit - I found that very useful.

As a former Inspector and a school governor of over 30 yrs, I would say go with your gut from when you visited. Frankly, you know within moments of being in a school, is it clean and looked after, do the toilets smell, is there a calm buzz about it and do the pupils look happy? I know that this is simplistic but it tells you a lot, what does your child think, which one did they enjoy visiting, after all they will be there for the next five to seven years.

As to the reports, yes they are highly edited as there is a limitation of words, however, if it were me, I would edge towards the second comfy school.

So o summarise... you've got two good schools, with good results and good progress. They both have different strengths. Plus your DS has a mother who is motivated enough to analyse different resources to try to work out what is best.

I think this will come down to preference. Visit the schools, see what your son thinks, and he will likely do well at either.

As a teacher myself I would choose school 2 every time.
Which one do you think your child will be safe, valued and nurtured at? These things are so important. Much more so than ambitious curriculums in my opinion. Have you met the head? Which did you like more?

I prefer school 2, as does my DS, but both schools have their pros and cons. I just want to make sure I’m not missing something in terms of the Ofsted.

School 2 is probably more nurturing. My DS is not especially academic but a bright and curious kid who struggles when teachers are boring or unhelpful!

Haven’t met either head directly unfortunately, but might get a chance at the next open days. As two very oversubscribed schools they keep prospective parents at arm’s length a bit

This is usually my experience having worked in both. The hoops you have to jump through to get outstanding are insane. A school that prioritises students and staff wellbeing over those hoops will unsurprisingly have a better satisfaction rate. It's difficult to know though op, I don't envy you.

Oh and I'd choose school 2. Every time.

A school can have the most amazing facilities and brilliant teaching, but if your child isn’t happy there, they won’t benefit from them.

Choose the school where they will be happy, which most closely fits your family ethos and which is most practical, in terms of location and the wrap-around care. Bear in mind also that an Ofsted grade can change overnight at the whim of the next inspection team, and that any data used to form judgements is based on a cohort of children a minimum of 8 years older than yours and who had their early lives and education disrupted at a different point to yours.

Visit both schools, as pp have said. Also read the newsletters on the website, as they give an indication of current issues and the tone the school takes with parents, and stand outside at home time and watch how the children (and parents) behave outside of the direct supervision of the teachers.

Exactly as @SnowdaySewday said. "A school can have the most amazing facilities and brilliant teaching, but if your child isn’t happy there, they won’t benefit from them."

A lot of people who pay for private learn this the hard way. The clubs and fields are no use when your child doesn't care. My colleague moved her daughter out of an outstanding school to a good school with worse results. The outstanding school had a much less middle class intake and she wanted that for her daughter but ultimately her daughter didn't have anyone on a similar social footing to her. For eg a lot of her friends were lovely but would never be allowed out to concerts or shopping on the weekends. It's not worse, just different priorities those kids families had and different ideas of what is an appropriate social life for a teen. She moved her to the more middle class school with worse results and her daughter was much happier. It's not about snobbery, both schools had lovely kids and it works both ways. Kids want to fit in and it's difficult when you're very different to the cohort.
I'm not saying the Ofsted report is useless, but this is exactly the problem with the one word ratings, it's so misleading as a school that's outstanding for one child will be awful for another.

Go with your instincts.

School 1 probably ticked a box or two that school 2 didn’t, in terms of Ofsted.

What matters to you in terms of his schooling?
If you want him to be happy, enthusiastic, listened to, given opportunities, have teaching geared to his ability, have opportunities to do new activities, have friendly, approachable staff and a welcoming atmosphere, then choose the one you feel gives you that.