If you are looking for a school place for your child or indeed if your child already attends a school setting, then it is vital to check on the progress of the school from time to time. Ofsted inspections are carried out on schools that previously achieved a “good†or above rating at least every three years, but you do not have to wait for this to be published to track the progress. Every year schools submit a number of results to the Department of Education. League tables show the levels achieved by pupils within a school compared to the national average. If your chosen school is under achieving in any of these areas then you can speak to the head teacher about it to find out what is being done to improve it.
With baseline assessments being rolled out across the country, it will be easier to see the progress students are making throughout their time at the school. This is often more important than the final level achieved as if many of the pupils are under achieving when they start but are then up to the expected level by the end of Key Stage 1, you can see a massive improvement has been made.