Standard

Ofsted standards for official statistics

Ofsted's official statistics follow the standards defined in the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics.

• From: Ofsted
• Published: 20 June 2014
• Last updated: 30 April 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 30 April 2026

     We have replaced our statistical policy documents with 6 new documents to evidence how Ofsted applies the Code of Practice for Statistics. We published ‘Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics’, ‘Confidentiality and data management policy’, ‘Public involvement and engagement strategy’, ‘Quality management policy’, ‘Release practice policy’ and the ‘Revisions and corrections policy’. We also published our ‘Statistical work programme: April 2026 to March 2027’.

  2. 25 October 2023

     Updated 5 documents; ‘Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008: statement of compliance,’ ‘Statement on user engagement,’ ‘Statement on revisions for official statistics,’ ‘Statement on confidentiality and data access’ and the ‘Statement of administrative sources.

  3. 28 January 2022

     Updated the statement on user engagement for statistics.

  4. 18 April 2019

     Updated the statement of administrative sources.

  5. 31 August 2018

     Three statements updated: pre-release access, revisions and confidentiality and data access.

  6. 24 April 2018

     Updated the methodology note for good and outstanding further education and skills providers: the new version explains how our risk assessment process informs the timings of inspections.

  7. 29 March 2018

     Updated the methodology note for risk assessment in good and outstanding schools and academies. The major change from previous years is the modelling approach applied to data in stage 1 of the process.

  8. 26 October 2017

     Statement of administrative sources updated.

  9. 4 August 2017

     Statement on user engagement for statistics updated. Previously named 'Statistical policy on user engagement'

  10. 5 May 2017

      Separate methodology notes have replaced the old single document for schools and further education and skills. The notes are updated for new risk assessment methodologies.

  11. 13 February 2017

      Documents updated to reflect minor changes to responsibilities and policies.

  12. 4 May 2016

      'Statement of administrative sources' updated.

  13. 22 August 2015

      Existing user engagement policy documents added.

  14. 28 July 2015

      Updated with new document: 'Methodology note: the risk assessment of good and outstanding providers'.

  15. 11 May 2015

      Published 'Statement of administrative sources'.

  16. 16 March 2015

      Published: Statement of compliance with the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008.

  17. 20 June 2014

      First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

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Statistical work programme: April 2026 to March 2027

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Confidentiality and data management policy

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Public involvement and engagement strategy

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Quality management policy

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Release practice policy

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Revisions and corrections policy

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Details

Ofsted’s statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). The OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics (the code).

The code requires producers of statistics to publish a series of organisational policies and statements relating to official statistics production.

This page contains our policies and statements.

Please visit our Statistics at Ofsted page for our statistical publications.