The government has declared that single-headline grades in schools will be eliminated immediately. Previously, Ofsted graded schools it inspects with one of four headline grades: inadequate, good, outstanding, and requires improvement.Parents will receive four grades during inspections this academic year in the following subcategories: leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and quality of teaching, according to the Department for teaching (DfE). The introduction of school report cards is scheduled for September 2025. The stated purpose of these reports is to furnish parents with an exhaustive and all-encompassing evaluation of their child's school performance and guarantee that inspections are more successful in promoting progress.

In cases of the most serious concern, the Government will continue to intervene, including by issuing an academy order, which may in some cases mean transferring to new management.

The announcement comes as pupils return to the classroom this week.

It is understood the removal of single-headline grades for other settings inspected by Ofsted—independent schools, early childhood settings, colleges, children’s social care providers, and initial teacher training—will follow. Single-phrase grades “fail to provide a fair and accurate assessment of overall school performance across a range of areas and are supported by a minority of parents and teachers,"  the DfE said.

The change “delivers on the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity,"  the DfE added. As part of the announcement, where schools are identified as struggling, the government will prioritise getting plans in place to improve the education and experience of children rather than relying on changing schools’ management, the DfE said. From early 2025, the government will also introduce regional improvement teams that will work with struggling schools to address areas of weakness.

Ofsted will continue to identify these schools - which would have been graded as inadequate.

The Government also currently intervenes where a school receives two or more consecutive judgments of “requires improvement” under the “2RI” policy.

With the exception of schools already due to convert to academies this term, this policy will change. The Government will now put in place support for these schools from a high-performing school.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The need for Ofsted reform to drive high and rising standards for all our children in every school is overwhelmingly clear.

“The removal of headline grades is a generational reform and a landmark moment for children, parents and teachers.

“Single-headline grades are low information for parents and high stakes for schools. Parents deserve a much clearer, much broader picture of how schools are performing - that’s what our report cards will provide.

“This Government will make inspection a more powerful, more transparent tool for driving school improvement. We promised change and now we are delivering.”

The announcement follows engagement with the sector and family of headteacher Ruth Perry, after a coroner’s inquest found the Ofsted inspection process had contributed to her death.

Mrs Perry took her own life after an Ofsted report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from its highest rating, “outstanding”, to its lowest rating, “inadequate”, over safeguarding concerns.

The Government said it will work closely with Ofsted and relevant sectors and stakeholders to “ensure that the removal of headline grades is implemented smoothly”.

Mrs Perry’s sister, Professor Julia Waters, said: “We are delighted and relieved that the Government has decided to take this important and long-overdue step.

“Single-word headline judgments are dangerous and reductive. They are unpopular with parents and teachers, and their simplistic impact has made the daily job of improving school standards harder for everyone except the bureaucrats.

“The shame, injustice, and high-stakes consequences of an ‘inadequate’ judgement, together with the rude and intimidating conduct of the inspection itself, were the cause of my sister’s mental deterioration and suicide.

“Single-word judgments are just the most visible feature of a fundamentally flawed inspection system. Ofsted‘s reign of terror has caused untold harm to headteachers and school staff for too long, with a negative impact on children’s education.”