Does Ofsted grading place some schools further into deprivation?
New research evaluates “stuck” schools that have struggled to achieve positive inspection judgments for the past 13 years and the interaction between schools’ location and socioeconomic context, its inspection outcome, and how this affects school change.
This study (Elhren et al., 2023) analyses data from 580 “stuck” schools and all state-funded schools in England from 2005 to 2018, including information on inspections and mergers, changes in government and Ofsted framework.
Despite the intention of enhanced monitoring to support struggling schools, the research suggests that the “stuck” classification hinders positive change.
It becomes evident that schools operating in disadvantaged areas or with a high proportion of students with low prior attainment tend to receive inadequate ratings and are less likely to achieve outstanding status.
They also struggle to recruit and retain teachers too!
The study analyses data from 580 “stuck” schools and all state-funded schools in England from 2005 to 2018.
