Ofsted changed how it inspects early years settings on 10 November 2025. A nursery that was last inspected before that date still has an inspection result from the previous system. LondonEY calls these legacy grades and always shows them with the date and a note that they come from the previous framework. They are not converted into the new ratings.
What the old grades were
Until November 2025, inspectors used a four-point scale for each judgement:
- Outstanding
- Good
- Requires improvement
- Inadequate
Inspectors gave a judgement on five things: overall effectiveness, the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The headline most parents saw was the overall effectiveness grade. Ofsted’s handbook said outstanding is “a challenging and exacting judgement”, awarded only when a setting meets all the criteria for good and does so securely and consistently, with further criteria on top.
If no children were on roll or present at the time of an inspection, the setting received a met or not met outcome for overall effectiveness only, with no separate grades.
What the grades meant in practice
- Outstanding and Good were the two highest grades. Settings with either overall grade could display official Ofsted logos.
- Requires improvement meant the provision was not yet good. Childminders, pre-schools and nurseries with this judgement were usually re-inspected within 12 months. A setting with two previous requires-improvement judgements was likely to be judged inadequate if it did not improve.
- Inadequate meant the provision did not have an acceptable standard of care or quality of education. Inadequate provision was usually re-inspected within 6 months, and Ofsted could take enforcement action.
What happens to an old grade
An old grade stays on a setting’s record until its next inspection. After that inspection, the setting gets a report card with the new areas and scale, and the old overall grade is replaced.
Settings judged Outstanding or Good for overall effectiveness before November 2025 can keep using the official Ofsted Outstanding or Good logos until their next graded inspection. Once they receive that inspection, they must remove the logos, because there is no overall effectiveness grade any more. Ofsted says logos must not be used to mislead the public, and that logos such as “Ofsted approved” or “Ofsted registered” are unofficial.
How old a legacy grade can be
Under the previous system, settings on the Early Years Register were normally inspected at least once within a 6-year window. A legacy grade can therefore be several years old. The new system moves to a 4-year window, phased in from April 2026, with full implementation expected by March 2030. This means many settings will keep an older legacy grade for some time. Always check the inspection date.
How to read a legacy grade
- Look at the date. A grade from 2019 reflects a different setting, staff team and manager from one from 2024.
- Read the report. Legacy reports describe strengths and areas to improve in plain text. They are linked from every LondonEY listing.
- Do not compare with report cards. A legacy Good and a new ‘expected standard’ or ‘strong standard’ answer different questions. See the five-point scale.
- Ask the setting what has changed since the inspection, such as a new manager, refurbishment or new staff.
Funding and legacy grades
Councils use inspection results when deciding whether to fund free places. For inspections before 10 November 2025, a legacy ‘inadequate’ means a council is not required to fund any of the free entitlements at that provider, and ‘requires improvement’ or below means the council is not required to fund places for 2-year-olds on the extra-support route. Councils can still choose to fund the place if there are not enough alternatives. See free childcare for 2-year-olds.
Questions
Are Outstanding nurseries still the best?
Outstanding was the top legacy grade, but it reflects the inspection date and the old framework. A setting graded Outstanding years ago may have changed, and a setting inspected recently under the new framework cannot be compared with it directly. Check the date and read the report.
Why does my nursery still have an old grade?
Because Ofsted has not inspected it since November 2025. Ofsted inspects settings on a cycle, so a setting’s next inspection could be some time away. See how often nurseries are inspected.
What does “Requires improvement” mean?
It means the provision was not yet good. Ofsted normally re-inspected childminders, pre-schools and nurseries with this judgement within 12 months, so check whether a newer report exists.
Do old grades still count for funded places?
Yes. Funded hours depend on the provider’s most recent inspection result. Legacy ‘inadequate’ and, for 2-year-old places, ‘requires improvement’ or below are the grades that can stop a council funding a place.
