Across Leeds, around one in five schools are ranked as outstanding, the top mark Ofsted can give.
Nine state-run secondary schools in Leeds are currently ranked as outstanding. This is amid a total of 551 outstanding secondary schools across all of England.
However, only three of these schools in Leeds have been marked since June 2021 with some not inspected since 2007. This is largely because outstanding schools were exempt from routine inspections between 2012 and 2020.
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Adding to this, the Covid-19 pandemic meant inspections were paused for 18 months. As a result, a large backlog has built up.
In Leeds, 21% of state-run secondary schools are rated outstanding and 65% are ranked as good. A further 12% are requires improvement and 2%, or just one school, is inadequate.
Now, you can see all the outstanding schools in your area on this interactive map:
Since inspections resumed, Ofsted has completed inspections of 739 outstanding schools, only 134 remained outstanding. The schools which have not been inspected for the longest have been prioritised under this system, an average of 13 years.
Ofsted says that means they are not "typical of all exempt schools, and the pattern of inspection outcomes may change later". They expect all previously exempt outstanding schools to have been inspected by the end of July 2025.
While the work continues, Ofsted has announced it is reviewing its approach to inspecting schools following an outcry over the death of head teacher Ruth Perry. Her family said she took her own life in January before the publication of an inspection report at Caversham Primary School in Reading that downgraded her school from "outstanding" to "inadequate".
In the wake of the tragedy Ofsted has faced calls to scrap its one-word ranking system which grades schools as either outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate.
Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said she recognises that "distilling all that a school is and does into a single word makes some in the sector uncomfortable". She added the current grading system "showcases good practice", uncovers "significant issues" at schools, and is "useful" for parents making a decision on which school to send their children.
Currently, 16% of secondary schools in England are rated outstanding and 65% are good. Eight in 10 secondary schools, or 81%, are either good or outstanding. A total of 13% of schools are ranked as requires improvement while 6% are inadequate.
A spokesperson for Ofsted said: "Our inspections are first and foremost for children and their parents – looking in depth at the quality of education, behaviour, and how well and safely schools are run. We always want inspections to be constructive and collaborative and in the vast majority of cases school leaders agree that they are."
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