In the United Kingdom, schools receive grades from Ofsted inspectors, which help parents and schools make informed decisions. Ofsted inspections evaluate four key areas: quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, in addition to an overall effectiveness judgment. The overall effectiveness rating takes into account all key areas, the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of students, and includes a four-point grading scale: outstanding, good, requires improvement, and inadequate. An outstanding rating requires excellence in all areas, with secure and consistent performance, while a good rating indicates excellence in most areas and improvement in one area. A requires improvement rating indicates that one or more key areas need improvement, and safeguarding might have weaknesses that are quickly resolved. An inadequate rating means that the school's overall effectiveness is ineffective and often accompanied by safeguarding issues. Ofsted ratings are important to parents when choosing a school, with a 2015 survey indicating they were the third most important factor, and Ofsted reports being a decisive factor. However, studies suggest that Ofsted ratings do not necessarily correlate with student outcomes, well-being, or happiness. Ofsted has also faced criticism for budget cuts, staffing challenges, and long periods between inspections for some schools. Despite these challenges, Ofsted ratings remain a valuable tool for parents and schools to make informed decisions
