§ Ofsted guides
How to find and read an Ofsted inspection report
Last updated
Published Ofsted reports are free to search. Finding the right provider usually takes a couple of minutes; understanding what the report tells you takes a little longer, particularly now that report cards have replaced single-word overall judgements for new inspections.
Use the official Ofsted reports search for the source record.
Where to find a published Ofsted report
Search on Ofsted's official reports site. The most reliable options are:
- Setting name. Add the town or postcode when several providers share a similar name.
- URN. The unique reference number on the provider's registration documents and previous reports identifies the exact setting.
- Location. A postcode or town search can help when you are comparing registered providers in one area.
Open the provider page and check the name, address and URN before relying on a PDF. Reports are usually listed with the most recent first.
Reading a report from before 10 November 2025
Older reports use an overall judgement such as Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate, with further judgements and narrative beneath it. Do not stop at the headline: the sections describing what the provider does well and what it needs to improve carry the useful detail.
The date matters too. A historic report records what was found on that visit; it is not a live certificate of the setting's current practice.
Reading an early years report card
Inspections under the renewed approach produce separate outcomes across evaluation areas rather than one overall grade. The scale runs through Urgent improvement, Needs attention, Expected standard, Strong standard and Exceptional. Safeguarding is reported separately as met or not met.
- Look at the spread across areas rather than treating one outcome as the whole story.
- Read the narrative: it explains the evidence behind the at-a-glance outcomes.
- Check the publication and inspection dates before comparing two providers.
Our early years report-card guide explains the grades and evaluation areas in more detail.
What a report history can and cannot show
Several reports can show how a setting's published inspection record has changed over time. Keep the limits in view: each report is a time-stamped inspection record, frameworks change, and a recurring topic is not proof of present-day practice.
Reports can also be read by authorship. Across reports attributed to the same named inspector, topics may recur. Inspector Briefings organises those report-based patterns and links each point back to published source wording; it does not characterise the inspector as a person or predict a future inspection.
What to read next
Frequently asked questions
How long after an inspection is the report published?
Publication normally takes several weeks because the provider receives a draft and can comment on factual accuracy before the final report is published.
Do old reports disappear when a new one is published?
A provider's report history normally remains available on its Ofsted page, although Ofsted can amend or withdraw individual publications.
My setting's last report is under the old framework. Which applies?
The published report remains part of the setting's inspection history. Its next inspection follows the framework and operating guide in force at the time of that visit.
Can I find reports written by a specific inspector?
Ofsted's report search is organised around providers, not inspectors. DullDocs checks reports attributed to a named inspector and shows the verified coverage before a briefing can be purchased.
Been given an inspector's name?
Search the name free. See the verified attributed-report count and date range before choosing a one-off £19 briefing.