Outstanding Sheffield schools: Another year passes at top schools where Ofsted visits are 10 years out of date

Another year has passed without Sheffield's top-rated schools receiving a fresh inspection from Ofsted, leaving many without any scrutiny for over 10 years.

A year ago, The Star highlighted the Steel City schools that had been waiting for a decade or more to prove again to inspectors they deserved to be rated 'outstanding'.

Delays in carrying out inspections do not seem to have improved for the education watchdog, as many of the same schools have gone yet another a year without a visit.

In recent years, the rules governing top-rated schools were changed. Previously, 'outstanding' schools did not need to be fully reinspected without concerns being raised. Now, they require routine full inspections.

Between this and interruptions brought on by Covid-19, inspectors face huge backlogs, and many of Sheffield's 'outstanding' schools have not been scrutinised in over a decade.

Some progress has been made. Since September 2022, St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School was rated 'good' in its first inspection in 15 years, and Silverdale School was rated 'good' in its first visit in nearly a decade.

The most severely out-of-date rating is now Stannington Infant School, which has been waiting since October 2007 for a fresh visit.

These are the Sheffield schools The Star highlighted in September 2022 for having out-of-date Ofsted reports and what has happened in the year since.