03-07-2025
Ofsted head: Scrapping one-word ratings will hit house prices
Scrapping single-word Ofsted judgments could hit local property prices in areas where schools are rated outstanding, the chief inspector of Ofsted has said.
Sir Martyn Oliver described how average house prices near two schools previously in special measures jumped £15,000 'within a week' after their rating was upgraded to outstanding.
Speaking at the Festival of Education in Berkshire, Oliver said parents rely heavily on Ofsted judgments when choosing where to live and are often guided by the single-word ratings.
Meanwhile debate over plans to overhaul the Ofsted grading system, which some critics argue oversimplifies school performance but others say provides a clear benchmark for parents, is intensifying.
From November, the single-word judgments — outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate — will be replaced by a more nuanced five-point scale assessing multiple areas of school performance.
