Ofsted has announced a pilot independent complaints review service that will allow state-funded schools in England to seek external scrutiny of how the inspectorate handled complaints about inspections, including concerns linked to grades.
The announcement, published on 16 October 2026, applies to schools inspected during the 2026/27 academic year. It introduces a further stage after Ofsted’s own complaints procedure has concluded and the school’s inspection report card has been published.
What will the independent reviewer examine?
The new independent complaints review (ICR) service will be able to examine the original complaint, Ofsted’s response and unredacted inspection evidence. Unlike the existing Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted (ICASO), it can assess whether the outcome of the complaint was fair and reasonable, including matters connected with inspection findings and grades.
Where the reviewer identifies mistakes or unfair handling, it can recommend that Ofsted reconsider the complaint. Its findings and recommendations will be sent to the school and His Majesty’s Chief Inspector.
Could a school be reinspected?
Yes, in some cases. Ofsted says Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver will personally consider and respond to every recommendation. If a recommendation concerns a grading decision, he can set aside the published report card and arrange a fresh inspection as soon as possible. The new inspection could result in the same or different grades.
However, the independent reviewer cannot itself overturn an inspection grade. The legal power to make grading decisions remains with His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, exercised through Ofsted inspectors.
Why is Ofsted changing its complaints system?
Ofsted says the pilot responds to calls for greater independent oversight, including recommendations from Dame Christine Gilbert’s independent learning review and Sinead McBrearty’s assessment of the wellbeing impact of the revised inspection framework.
The inspectorate has introduced several complaints reforms since 2023, including a helpline for education providers, a national complaints hub and panels involving external representatives to review samples of closed cases. The new pilot adds scrutiny of whether a complaint outcome was reasonable, rather than solely whether correct procedures were followed.
What happens next?
Ofsted will monitor and evaluate the pilot before deciding whether to make the arrangement permanent and extend it to other types of provision it inspects. It will seek feedback from complainants, trade unions and the Confederation of School Trusts.
The announcement does not mean schools have acquired an automatic right to a new inspection or that external reviewers can directly change grades.