Official Statistics

Main findings: Non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes in England: August 2024

Published 14 November 2024

Applies to England

Ofsted Big Listen consultation

In September 2024, we published our response to the Big Listen, the largest consultation in Ofsted’s history. We sought views right across our work, from schools and children’s social care to teacher training and early years. We made a commitment in our response to reform our inspection frameworks and introduce report cards. These reforms will require changes to our current suite of management information and official statistics publications. 

Once the new frameworks and report cards have been developed, we will consult on changes to our statistical publications, ensuring they continue to present information in the right way to best support our users.

This official statistics release includes inspections that were carried out under the education inspection framework up until 31 August 2024, when the overall effectiveness judgement was still made.

This is the main findings report for the non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes in England as at 31 August 2024 release. The following are also available:

• underlying data and tables

• methodology

• pre-release access list

Summary

This release contains:

• the most recent inspections data and outcomes for all open non-association independent schools as at 31 August 2024

• provisional data for inspections carried out between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024 and published by 30 September 2024

• revised data for inspections carried out between 1 September 2019 and 31 August 2023; this includes inspections from previous academic years that might have missed the cut-off deadline for official statistics in that year

Between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, we carried out 446 standard inspections of independent schools and 369 additional inspections.^{[footnote 1]}  

The number of non-association independent special schools has continued to increase. Special schools now make up 63% of non-association independent schools compared with 58% last year and 45% in 2019.

As at 31 August 2024, 82% of independent schools were judged good or outstanding at their most recent inspection, a 7 percentage point increase compared with 31 August 2023.

Number of providers

There are 2,443 independent schools in England. We inspect independent schools that are not part of an association, of which there are 1,149. The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspects schools that are members of an association. For simplicity in this publication, we will refer to non-association independent schools as ‘independent schools’.

We can group the independent schools we inspect into 3 broad categories:

• independent special schools, which make up over three fifths of independent schools, are often small schools that provide a combination of educational and therapeutic support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).^{[footnote 2]} Independent schools that cater specifically for pupils with SEND are usually registered with the Department for Education (DfE) as ‘independent special schools’; however, there is no legal definition of this term ^{[footnote 3]}

• independent faith schools, which make up just under a fifth of independent schools, are schools with a declared religious character or ethos ^{[footnote 4]}

• other independent schools, which are the remaining independent schools, have no declared religious character or ethos and are not registered with the DfE as special schools

As discussed in our previous publication, the number of independent special schools has continued to rise. There are 51 more independent special schools this year than at 31 August 2023. Special schools now make up 63% of non-association independent schools compared with 58% last year and 45% in 2019.

The number of independent faith schools and other independent schools we inspect have continued to decrease over the same period.

Figure 1: Number of non-association independent schools by school type over time

^{Note: Special faith schools are included within the special schools group.
View data in an accessible format.}

Overall, the total number of schools we inspect is very similar to last year (it has decreased by only 5 schools) but the make-up of the sector has changed considerably.

Since August 2023, 92 independent schools no longer belong to the group of schools inspected by us. This is either due to closure (45 schools) or to joining an association and being inspected by the ISI (47 schools). Overall, 4% of independent special schools left the group of schools we inspect compared to 8% of independent faith schools and 18% of other independent schools.

The number of schools we no longer inspect has been almost offset by the number of new schools opening. In the same period, 86 schools have opened and 1 has re-joined the schools we inspect from ISI. The majority (85%) of these schools are independent special schools. As a smaller number of special schools leave the sector and more special schools join, this has resulted in the proportion of special schools increasing by a further 5 percentage points since last year.

Inspections between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024

Inspection volumes

This year, we carried out 446 standard inspections of independent schools. These inspections resulted in a series of graded judgements. Sixty-two percent of the inspections were of independent special schools, 22% of independent faith schools and 17% of other independent schools.

Of the 446 standard inspections:

• 90 were of schools receiving their first standard inspection

• 215 were of schools previously judged good or outstanding

• 141 were of schools previously judged requires improvement or inadequate

During the same period, we also carried out 369 additional inspections and 147 evaluations of school action plans at the request of the DfE.^{[footnote 1]} These included the following:

• 129 progress monitoring inspections

• 115 material change inspections

• 108 pre-registration inspections

• 17 emergency inspections

Standard inspection outcomes

The interaction between overall effectiveness and the majority of the key judgements follows a similar pattern to that seen in previous years. See revised chart 2 in the accompanying charts and tables file for key judgement outcomes for the previous academic year. The grades for the quality of education and effectiveness of leadership and management judgements continue to be the most closely aligned with the overall effectiveness judgement, with the grades for behaviour and attitudes and personal development being more positive (31% outstanding for each).

Figure 2 shows a breakdown of the inspection outcomes from the 446 standard inspections we carried out this year.

Figure 2: Overall effectiveness, key judgements and provision judgements of non-association independent schools, 2023/24

<sup>Notes:
1. Total number of inspections with an outcome is shown in brackets.
2. One school that had a standard inspection did not receive an outcome for overall effectiveness due to insufficient evidence.
3. Percentages are rounded and may not add to 100.
View data in an accessible format.</sup>

We also inspect independent schools against the independent school standards (ISS). In the standard inspections carried out this year, 16% of schools did not meet all the ISS that we checked. As in previous years, special schools were more likely to meet the standards. Twelve per cent of special schools inspected this year did not meet the ISS, compared with 29% of independent faith schools and 16% of other independent schools.

This academic year, out of the 446 inspections we carried out, 356 (80%) were of schools that had previously been inspected.

Overall, 51 more schools improved to good or outstanding from requires improvement or inadequate than declined to requires improvement or inadequate (from good or outstanding). This reversed the trend of the last 2 years, where more schools declined to requires improvement or inadequate than improved to good or outstanding. See chart 4 in the accompanying charts and tables file for outcomes by previous overall effectiveness over time.

Figure 3: Inspection outcomes of non-association independent schools, by previous overall effectiveness, 2023/24

^{Note. One school with no previous overall effectiveness judgement had a standard inspection but did not receive an outcome for overall effectiveness due to insufficient evidence.
View data in an accessible format.}

Additional inspection outcomes

We monitor schools that fail to meet all the ISS at either their most recent standard inspection or at an emergency inspection, through evaluating action plans and carrying out progress monitoring inspections. In 54% of the 129 progress monitoring inspections that we carried out this year, the school did not meet the ISS that we checked. This is a similar level of non-compliance to previous years (51% in 2022/23 and 56% in 2021/22).

Of the 17 emergency inspections carried out this year, 6 schools met the ISS that we checked and 9 schools did not. Two schools were closed at the time of inspection, so a judgement of whether the school met the ISS could not be made.

Of the 108 pre-registration inspections carried out this year, we judged 82 schools (76%) as likely to meet all standards.^{[footnote 5]} This is slightly higher than last year (73%).

Most recent inspection outcomes

On 31 August 2024, 1,061 (92%) non-association independent schools had received a standard inspection. Nearly all of these schools were inspected under the education inspection framework (EIF) that started in September 2019. The remaining 88 schools are yet to be inspected as they have recently opened and are waiting for their first standard inspection.

As at 31 August 2024, we judged 82% of schools as good or outstanding at their most recent standard inspection. This is a 7 percentage point increase since 31 August 2023 (75%). See chart 3 in the accompanying charts and tables file for most recent outcomes by academic year. This improvement can be seen across all school types. Independent special schools have increased by 6 percentage points and both faith and other independent schools are 7 percentage points higher than at August 2023.

The improved outcomes for schools inspected this year is the main reason for the increase. For instance, 83 schools that were inadequate or required improvement at their previous inspection improved to good or outstanding this year. This improvement, coupled with movement out of the sector (schools closing or moving to ISI), has resulted in an increase in the proportion of independent schools judged good or outstanding at their most recent inspection at the end of the year. The impact of these 2 changes varies for different types of schools: independent faith schools and other independent school outcomes are more affected than independent special schools by schools leaving the sector.

Independent special schools continue to be more likely to be judged good or outstanding (87%) than independent faith schools (68%) or other independent schools (77%). In addition, a much lower proportion of independent special schools are judged inadequate (2%), compared with independent faith schools (11%) and other independent schools (11%).

Meeting the ISS

All independent schools are required to meet the ISS. There are 8 parts to the ISS, which cover areas such as quality of education, student welfare, and leadership and management.^{[footnote 6]}

At their most recent inspection, 13% of non-association independent schools did not meet all the standards. This is an improvement since 31 August 2023, when 17% did not meet all the standards. Independent faith schools are more likely to not meet the standards (28%) than independent special schools (7%) and other independent schools (16%).

It is possible for independent schools to meet the ISS and be judged requires improvement for overall effectiveness under the EIF. Of the 135 (13%) independent schools judged as requires improvement, just under half (47%) met the ISS. The schools that were judged requires improvement and met the ISS had met the minimum standards laid down by the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, but the vast majority (95%) were not providing a good quality of education as evaluated under the EIF.

If a school fails to meet any of the standards in parts 1 to 7, it will normally not meet the standards for the quality of leadership and management of schools (part 8). As a result, the part 8 standards are the most likely to be failed (13%), followed by the standards for the quality of education provided (part 1) at 11% and the standards for the welfare, health and safety of pupils (part 3) at 6%.

Across each of the 8 parts of the ISS, independent special schools are more likely to meet the standards than both independent faith schools and other independent schools, with part 1 and part 8 showing the greatest differences. The part 1 standards for the quality of education provided were met by 94% of independent special schools inspected, compared to 87% of other independent schools and 76% of independent faith schools. The part 8 standards for leadership and management were met by 93% of independent special schools, compared to 85% of other independent schools and 72% of independent faith schools.

Revisions to previous release

Provisional data indicated that between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023, 413 standard inspections were carried out. This data included inspection reports that were published by 30 September 2023. Based on reports published by 30 September 2024, there were 8 further standard inspections during 2022/23, bringing the total number of inspections to 421.

The addition of these 8 inspections did not change the profile of overall effectiveness for independent schools inspected in 2022/23. You can find further details in the revised tables in the charts and tables file accompanying this release.

Revisions have been made to data in this publication in line with Ofsted’s revisions policy for official statistics.

Notes

The purpose of these official statistics is to provide data and insight on Ofsted’s inspections of non-association independent schools. They provide information about how the judgements have changed over time, and how they may vary across different regions and school types.

Data in this report is from inspections as at 31 August 2024, where the inspection reports were published by 30 September 2024. If an inspection report was not published by the cut-off date, then the previous inspection will be reported as the school’s most recent inspection, where applicable. Any data, charts and tables that refer to the 2023/24 academic year are based on inspections that took place from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024, where the report was published by 30 September 2024.

Data in this official statistics release reflects the judgements made for inspections carried out under sections 99, 109(1) and 109(2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The regulations in the act set out the standards that inspectors report on. This includes how far the school meets the requirements of the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (referred to as the independent school standards).

The methodology and quality report that accompanies this release sets out the main uses of this data, further contextual information and arrangements for quality assurance. It also provides information about a) the strengths and limitations of the statistics, and b) the accuracy and reliability of the underlying data.

Where we have quoted percentages in this report, figures in the charts have been rounded and may not add up to 100.

Inspection data for the academic years before 2023/24 have been revised to include inspections that were published after the cut-off date for the publication in that year.

Glossary

Definitions of terms are in our glossary.

Further information

Contact for comments or feedback

If you have any comments or feedback on this publication, please contact the Schools Data and Analysis Team.

Annual report

We will publish our Annual Report on 5 December 2024.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the following for their contribution to this statistical release: Alison Bateman, Rebecca Bills and Jay Kerai.

How to search

Click on Ctrl + F on a Windows laptop or Command + F on a Mac.

This will open a search box in the top right-hand corner of the page. Type the word you are looking for in the search bar and press enter.

Your browser will highlight the word, usually in yellow, wherever it appears on the page. Press enter to move to the next place where it appears.

Annex: Data tables for figures

This section contains the underlying data in an accessible table format for all figures.

Data for figure 1: Number of non-association independent schools by school type over time

School type	31 August 2019	31 August 2020	31 August 2021	31 August 2022	31 August 2023	31 August 2024
Independent special schools	498	520	583	622	673	724
Independent faith schools	283	279	276	257	226	217
Other independent schools	320	298	304	290	255	208

^{Note: Special faith schools are included within the special schools group.}

See figure 1

Data for figure 2: Overall effectiveness, key judgements and provision judgements of non-association independent schools, 2023/24

Judgement or provision	Number of inspections	% Outstanding	% Good	% Requires Improvement	% Inadequate
Overall effectiveness	445	11	64	18	6
Quality of education	445	11	67	17	4
Behaviour and attitudes	445	31	62	5	2
Personal development	445	31	57	9	3
Leadership and management	445	14	63	16	6
Early years provision	67	12	67	16	4
Sixth-form provision	67	22	69	4	4

<sup>Notes:
1. Total number of inspections with an outcome is shown in brackets.
2. One school that had a standard inspection did not receive an outcome for overall effectiveness due to insufficient evidence.
3. Percentages are rounded and may not add to 100.</sup>

See figure 2

Data for figure 3: Inspection outcomes of non-association independent schools, by previous overall effectiveness, 2023/24

Previous overall effectiveness	Total number of inspections	Overall effectiveness: Outstanding	Overall effectiveness: Good	Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement	Overall effectiveness: Inadequate
Outstanding	31	21	8	2	0
Good	184	22	132	18	12
Requires improvement	88	3	58	23	4
Inadequate	53	0	22	22	9
No previous overall effectiveness judgement	90	5	66	15	3
Total	446	51	286	80	28

^{Note: One school with no previous overall effectiveness judgement had a standard inspection but did not receive an outcome for overall effectiveness due to insufficient evidence.}

See figure 3

1. Additional inspections are inspections that occur outside the normal inspection cycle and cover emergency, progress monitoring, pre-registration and material change inspections. ↩ ↩²

2. Twenty special schools also identify themselves as faith schools. For the purposes of our analysis, we have grouped these schools with special schools and not faith schools. ↩

3. Independent schools are identified on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) database as either an ‘other independent special school’ or ‘other independent school’. It is possible for a school that has registered as an ‘other independent school’ to only have pupils with SEND attending and to be a special school but not identified as such. ↩

4. The faith of a school is defined by whether the school has declared a religious character or ethos on the DfE’s GIAS database. If the school does not declare a religious character or ethos, it is categorised in our statistics as ‘non-faith’, although it is possible that some of these schools also operate as faith schools. ↩

5. For pre-registration inspections, the outcome judgement of ‘likely to meet all standards’ also includes those judged ‘operating without registration and likely to meet all standards’. ↩

6. ‘Regulating independent schools’, Department for Education, August 2019. The standards cover quality of education; spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils; welfare, health and safety of pupils; suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors; premises of and accommodation at schools; provision of information; manner in which complaints are handled; and quality of leadership in and management of schools. ↩