School attainment and performance
is assessed in many ways. Two of the most well known measures are
academic performance - published in the Department for Education
(DfE) performance tables - and the Office for Standards in
Education (Ofsted) inspection reports.
A school inspection is a process of evidence gathering in order to
provide an assessment of how well a school is performing.
Ofsted provides teams of inspectors who conduct inspections and
produce reports on schools. A school inspection report
contains:
- achievements made by the school
- details of the school
- how the school has improved since its last inspection
- improvements the school could make
- parents’ and carers’ views of the school
- pupils’ attitudes and values
- teaching and learning.
Ofsted provides inspection reports for:
- day-care providers
- further education and sixth form colleges
- independent schools
- Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)
- special schools
- state sector nurseries
- state sector schools.
Performance tables are compiled by the DfE and provide
information on the achievements of pupils in schools and how they
compare with other schools in the area and countrywide. Special
schools are listed separately at the end of the table and
independent schools are not included.
The performance tables provide information on:
- GCSE, AS-level, A-level and other examination results
- how much value each school has added, based on the progress
made by individual pupils
- Key Stage results in English, mathematics and science
- school details and background information.
You should consider the information in performance tables alongside
other sources of information such as Ofsted school inspection
reports, school prospectuses and Governors' Annual Reports.
DfE also produces performance tables for Local Education
Authorities (LEAs).
Links to relevant sites
DfE -
performance tables
Ofsted -
homepage
Ofsted – inspection reports by
postcode