Ofsted make judgements on four areas:

• the effectiveness of leadership and management
• the quality of teaching, learning and assessment
• personal development, behaviour and welfare
• outcomes for pupils

Schools are given an overall grade from 1 to 4:

• grade 1 – outstanding
• grade 2 – good
• grade 3 – requires improvement
• grade 4 – inadequate

The grade a school receives determines how frequently the inspectors visit. Good schools normally receive a short inspection every three years.

Ofsted have written a useful guide for parents and carers. You can find the latest version here.

During an inspection, Ofsted will look at responses to their Parent View online survey at www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk.

You can complete this survey at any time during the school year, although during inspections there is an additional comments box you can complete.