OFSTED

Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. It is the independent inspectorate responsible for inspecting and regulating services that provide education and care for children and young people in England.

Through a programme of inspections and regulatory visits, Ofsted evaluates the quality of education, safeguarding, leadership, and personal development within schools and other educational settings. Its work helps ensure that children and young people receive a high standard of education and care, while providing parents and carers with reliable information about schools.

Ofsted is a non-ministerial government department that operates independently of government ministers and is directly accountable to Parliament.

For more information about Ofsted and its work, please visit: www.gov.uk/ofsted.

OFSTED REPORT JUNE 2026

 

 

Catholic Schools Inspectorate

The inspection of a school under Section 48 (S48) of the 2005 Education Act, provides an independent external evaluation of its effectiveness as a provider of Catholic education and a diagnosis of what it should do to improve, based upon a range of evidence. S48 Inspection, therefore, complements Ofsted Inspections, but should be seen as dealing with matters fundamental to the Catholic school which are not inspected by Ofsted.

In conducting inspections, each diocese is  exercising a pastoral function on behalf of  their Bishop. Inspection is one of the ways a Bishop acts as a shepherd of his schools,  protecting, supporting and encouraging  them. For this reason, dioceses also have  a canonical and legal responsibility to  ensure that the inspection of their schools  witnesses to Catholic values and are compatible with both the teachings of the  Church and the law of the land. Dioceses will exercise this responsibility by  appointing accredited inspectors who are  able to carry out this pastoral and legal  function effectively.

In November 2019, the Bishops’ Conference  unanimously agreed to a National  Framework for the Inspection of Catholic  Schools, Colleges and Academies. This  provided, inter alia, for all inspectors  to be accredited, on behalf of every  diocesan bishop, in accordance with a  nationally agreed protocol approved by the  Department of Education and Formation,  to inspect in any diocese.

However, because many aspects of school life are subject to review processes by such bodies as Ofsted and ISIS, the Self-Review and Evaluation of Catholic Education focuses on the following key aspects:

• Catholic Life and Mission
• Religious Education
• Worship

2024 Religion S48 Diocesan Inspection Report

2018 Religion S48 Diocesan Inspection Report

 

Parent View

Parent View gives you the chance to tell OFSTED what you think about your child’s school.

Parent View asks for your opinion on 12 aspects of your child’s school, from the quality of teaching, to dealing with bullying and poor behaviour.  Ofsted will use the information you provide when making decisions about which schools to inspect, and when.