Using data from Ofsted inspections that took place from 2005/06 to 2014/15 (inclusive), this report asks two questions:

• does Ofsted act in a timely manner to identify schools with substantial declines in performance; and
• does Ofsted grade schools with differing pupil intakes fairly?

With parents, local authorities, multi academy trusts and policy makers taking Ofsted judgements very seriously, such issues matter greatly. Inspection bias could create distortions, deterring teachers and school leaders from working in certain schools, or skewing parents’ decisions when choosing a school.

Findings from the report were presented at the 2016 Education Policy Institute conference ‘Ofsted: Where Next?‘,