Guidance

Ofsted: explore an area is a web service that allows you to explore information about state-funded schools and registered childcare providers where you live and work, alongside other data that gives you an idea of what it is like to be a child growing up in that area. You can use it to see where Ofsted inspects to inform your decisions about providers and get a better idea of how a local area compares nationally.

Click on Ctrl + F, or Command + F on a Mac. This will open a search box in the top right-hand corner of the page. Type the word you are looking for in the search bar and press enter.

The word will then be highlighted in yellow wherever it appears in the guidance. Click on the 'enter' key to move to the next word found.

Data information

The Ofsted: explore an area service shows which release of data the information is based on. See the data sources page for information about the dataset including description, link and how frequently the dataset is updated.

The percentages in all tables and charts in the Ofsted: explore an area service are rounded and may not add to 100%.

Note: updating of the Ofsted: explore an area service is partially dependent on the update of the external data sources.

Data protection

When accessing the data in the Ofsted: explore an area service, you must always comply with the Data Protection Act 2018. The Data Protection Act 2018 is the UK's implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You must ensure that your use of the data to which you have access is consistent with the purpose for which the service was set up and that you do not use the data for any other purpose. You must ensure that the data is processed securely and that it is not subject to any unauthorised use or disclosure.

Missing data

There are a few possible reasons why data may not be shown for a particular measure.

In text, charts or tables, data may not be shown because:

  • the measure did not exist, was defined differently or was not available to Ofsted; if this is the case, the data is shown as a dash
  • the provider may have recently changed as a legal entity (for example, a school may have become an academy)
'–' is used to indicate where data is missing or not applicable.

Geography and area boundaries

We show data on the map page, local authority pages and local area pages using different geographical levels. These include:

Using this service

Landing/search page

When accessing Ofsted: explore an area, you will be taken to a landing page with a search function. Here you can choose whether to search for a provider by their name, a postcode or search for a local authority to see a map or data.

To search for a postcode

To search for a postcode, first select the button that says ‘Postcode’. Then, start typing the postcode and a drop-down box will appear, allowing you to select from the results. Select from the drop-down box and then press the green ‘Search’ button. You will be taken to the ‘Find state-funded schools and registered childcare providers map’ page.

You can select to show only certain types of providers on the map, to begin with, by also selecting one or more of the checkboxes below ‘I want to see’. For example, selecting 'Primary-age' will only show markers for providers taking primary-age (5–11 years) children on the map.

To search for a provider

To search for a provider by their name, first select the button that says ‘Provider name’. Then start typing the name of the provider and a drop-down box will appear, allowing you to select from the results. Select from the drop-down box and then press the green ‘Search’ button. You will be taken to the ‘Find state-funded schools and registered childcare providers map’ page.

You can select to show only certain types of providers on the map, to begin with, by also selecting one or more of the checkboxes below ‘I want to see’. For example, selecting ‘Primary-age’ will only show markers for providers taking primary-age (5–11 years) children on the map.

To see a map of providers in a local authority

To see a map that shows providers in a local authority, select the button under ‘For map view, search by’ that says ‘Local authority’. Start typing the name of the local authority and a drop-down box will appear allowing you to select from the results. Select from the drop-down box and then press the green Search button. You will be taken to the ‘Find state-funded schools and registered childcare providers map’ page.

To see data about a local authority

To see data about a local authority, select the button under ‘Search for local authority data’ that says ‘Local authority’. Start typing the name of the local authority and a drop-down box will appear allowing you to select from the results. Select from the drop-down box and then press the green Search button. You will be taken to the local authority page.

To search for a local area by postcode

To search for a local area, select the button that says ‘Local area (by postcode)’. Start typing in a postcode and a drop-down box will appear allowing you to select from the results. Select from the drop-down box and then press the green ‘Search’ button. You will be taken to the local area page.

Find state-funded schools and registered childcare providers map page

Use this page to search for state-funded schools and registered childcare providers in England. You can search by postcode or by provider name, then view the results on a map or in a list, or see all providers in a local authority. This page does not include childminder agency providers.

Search for a provider or postcode

Enter a provider name or postcode in the search box.

If you search for a provider:

  • your provider will appear as a blue pin on the map
  • other providers within a 1-mile radius (shown in blue) will appear as coloured pins – the legend for these pins is above the map

If you search for a postcode:

  • the blue pin will mark the centre of the postcode
  • other providers within a 1-mile radius (shown in blue) will appear as coloured pins

If you search for a local authority:

  • the boundary of the local authority wil be shown in blue
  • all providers in the local authority will appear as coloured pins

If you want to search for another postcode, provider or local authority, use the search box at the top of the page. Navigate to a new area by dragging the map and clicking the ‘Search this area’ button to the top left of the map.

Provider pop-ups

On the provider pop-ups that appear when you click on the provider pin, you can view key information about that provider.

The details shown will depend on the type of provider.

The following information is shown for all providers:

  • provider name
  • education phase or provider type
  • local authority – includes a link to the local authority page on Ofsted: explore an area
  • Ofsted reports – opens in a new tab

Additional information if it exists or relevant:

  • graded inspection information including date and inspection grades or overall effectiveness and subgrades
  • ungraded inspection information including date and outcome
  • school website – opens in a new tab
  • age range accepted

Change your search radius

You can adjust how far the search extends from your postcode or provider. To do this:

  • use the drop-down menu at the top left of the map
  • choose from: 1, 5, 10, or 20 miles
The map pins show approximate locations only.

View your results as a list

You can view your results as a list instead of a map.

To do this, select the ‘List view’ tab at the top of the map.

If you searched for a provider, it will appear first in the list. Other providers are shown in order of increasing distance.

To return to the map, click the ‘Map view’ tab.

Refine your results with filters

To narrow your search, click ‘Filter my results’ (top left of the map).

Select filters such as:

  • childcare
  • schools
  • faith

Click the green ‘Apply selected options to your search’ button.

Add provider count layers

You can add different overlays to your map to view totals of providers by area.

Click ‘Provider count layers’ (to the left of the map) and choose the data you want to display.

Select from the available overlays, which include:

  • total number of schools (shown at middle layer super output area (MSOA), local authority and region level)
  • schools by type (shown at MSOA, local authority and region level) – nursery, primary, secondary, special and registered alternative provision
  • total registered childcare providers (MSOA only) – includes registered childminders, full day care, sessional day care, out-of-school day care, and others
  • total number of children’s homes (local authority only)
  • total number of further education and skills providers (local authority only)

Click the green ‘Apply selected options to your search’ button.

The overlay information will be displayed underneath the legend just above the map.

Add data layers

You can add different overlays to your map to view key information by area.

Click ‘Data layers’ (to the left of the map) and choose the data you want to display.

Select from the available overlays, which include:

  • percentage of children in income-deprived families (IDACI value) (MSOA only)
  • percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals
  • percentage of pupils receiving special educational needs support
  • percentage of pupils with an education, health and care plan
  • percentage of pupils with English as an additional language

Click the green ‘Apply selected options to your search’ button.

The overlay information will be displayed underneath the legend just above the map.

Add provider count layers

You can add different overlays to your map to view totals of providers by area.

Click ‘Provider count layers’ (to the left of the map) and choose the data you want to display.

Select from the available overlays, which include:

  • total number of schools (shown at middle layer super output area (MSOA), local authority and region level)
  • schools by type (shown at MSOA, local authority and region level) – nursery, primary, secondary, special and registered alternative provision
  • total registered childcare providers (MSOA only) – includes registered childminders and pre-schools/day nurseries/out-of-school care
  • total number of children’s homes (local authority only)

Click the green ‘Apply selected options to your search’ button.

The overlay information will be displayed underneath the legend just above the map.

Area pop-ups

Once you have added a provider count layer or data layer, you can click any of the areas to show a pop-up with key information about that area.

All area pop-ups will show the name of the area, but the other details shown will depend on the overlay selected. The area name may link to another page with further information:

The values shown on the map also available in a table. Click on the details menus below the map called ‘View an accessible table for this data layer’. This will show a table with all the areas on the map, with links to the MSOA or local authority page, and their values for the selected overlay. If more than 10 areas are displayed, the table will be split across multiple pages. Use the ‘Previous’ and ‘Next’ buttons below the table to navigate between pages

Create your list of providers

You can build a list of providers you are interested in.

To do this, click a provider pin on the map. In the pop-up box, select the green ‘Add to my favourites' button. You can find your list below the map.

In the ‘List view’ tab, select the green ‘Add to my favourites' button next to the name of the provider that you are interested in.

You can remove providers from your list by clicking the red ‘Remove’ button.

View your favourites

Once you have added all the providers you are interested in, you can navigate the the ‘My favourites’ page to view your list. To do this, use the grey ‘Show my favourites’ button within the provider details box.

My favourites page

On the ‘My favourites’ page, you can view the providers you have added from the map. You will find key information about each provider, to help you review them.

The details shown will depend on the type of provider.

The following information is shown for all providers:

  • provider name
  • education phase
  • age range
  • local authority – includes a link to the local authority page on Ofsted: explore an area
  • Ofsted reports – opens in a new tab

The following additional information is shown if it exists or is relevant:

  • graded inspection information, including date and inspection grades or overall effectiveness and subgrades
  • ungraded inspection information, including date and outcome
  • academy trust
  • school website – opens in a new tab

Returning to the map

To return to the map page, select ‘Map’ from the breadcrumbs or use the back button in your browser.

Local authority pages

This page provides an overview of information for a specific local authority. The name of the local authority is at the top of the page. Just below this, you will find key details such as the Office for National Statistics code (opens in new tab) for the authority and the name of the current director of children’s services.

Navigating the local authority page

A contents section lets you jump quickly to different parts of the page. These are:

  • summary of Ofsted findings
    • local authority children’s services inspection (ILACS)
    • area SEND inspection
    • joint targeted area inspection (JTAI)
  • links to Ofsted inspection reports and tools
  • local authority context
  • additional information by Ofsted remit
    • early years
    • schools
    • further education and skills
    • social care

Each section provides information about the local authority and its services for children and young people, helping you get both a high-level overview and more detailed breakdowns where needed.

Data sources links: Underneath every dataset to the right there is a link called ‘Data sources’. This link will take you to another page where you can find out where the data came from. It includes the publisher of the data, the publication date, a brief description and a link to the external data source, if applicable.

More details: Under some data tables on the left, we have a drop-down box that provides more details on the data source.

Back to the top of the section: At various points on the page, you will find links that say back to the top of the section. These will take you back to the top of section, as described. So, for example, if you’re in the local authority context section, clicking the link will return you to the top of that section, not to the top of the page.

How to print the local authority page

You can print a local authority page directly from your web browser (for example, by pressing Ctrl + P). Before printing, select the tabs you want included.

For best results, print in landscape orientation.

We also recommend viewing or printing the data sources page to check publication dates.

Local area pages

This page provides an overview of information for a specific MSOA. The name of the MSOA is at the top of the page. Just below this, you will find a summary of the information such as the location of the MSOA, its population and neighbouring MSOAs. The headlines summarise the information contained in the page below.

Below the headlines is a drop-down box that provides guidance on the local area pages and the data sources used on the page.

Local area pages are optimised to be viewed on desktops or laptops.

Navigating the local area page

A contents section lets you jump quickly to different parts of the page. These are:

  • summary
  • deprivation
  • state-funded pupil characteristics
    • free school meals
    • special educational needs and disabilities
    • ethnicity
    • English as an additional language
  • provider information
    • registered childcare providers
    • state-funded schools

Each section provides information about the MSOA and its services for children and young people, helping you to get a high-level overview and more detailed breakdown where needed.

Data sources links: Underneath every dataset to the right there is a link called ‘Data sources’. This link will take you to another page where you can find out where the data came from. It includes the publisher of the data, the publication date, a brief description and a link to the external data source, if applicable.

Viewing the charts and data tables

Some of the information on the local area page is shown in charts and data tables.

Charts are shown by default, and these are interactive. You can see labels for the information by hovering your mouse over the chart and options will appear to let you change the scale or export the chart. You can also click an item in the legend above the chart to deselect and hide those values. Click the dimmed legend item again to show the values.

If you prefer to see tables, select the ‘Table’ tab for the data you are interested in. This will show the same data in a table.

How to print the local area page

You can print the local area page directly from your web browser (for example, by pressing Ctrl + P or Cmd + P). Before printing, select the tabs you want included.

For best results, print in landscape orientation.

We also recommend viewing or printing the data sources page to check publication dates.

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