Parents are increasingly turning to TikTok and Instagram for advice rather than read Ofsted reports to help choose schools for their children, new research suggests.
The Good Schools Guide (GSG) warned that education choices are being left “to the mercy of algorithms and bite-sized snapshots from superficial edu-influencers”, as parents look for quick, relatable content instead of reading inspection reports.
“Parents aren’t reading Ofsted reports anymore, they’re watching TikToks,” said Melanie Sanderson, managing editor of the GSG. “That should set alarm bells ringing. Education choices are too important to be left to the mercy of algorithms and bite-sized snapshots from superficial edu-influencers. That might be fine for a handbag or eyeliner but not when it comes to education or health.”
The trend comes as Ofsted prepares to scrap single-word judgments from November. A new colour-coded system with five ranks across up to ten categories is being introduced to make reports clearer.
But research from the GSG, which polled 2,000 parents, shows many are already bypassing Ofsted when looking at schools for their children. Only 31 per cent of parents said they used inspection reports to help select a school, falling to 21 per cent among younger Gen Z parents.
By contrast, 16 per cent of all parents turned to social media, rising to 29 per cent for Gen Z. And 12 per cent used AI tools such as ChatGPT, a figure that increased to 16 per cent among the youngest parents.
Ms Sanderson said parents were looking for a sense of what life is like inside schools, which inspection reports often fail to provide. “We know time-pressured parents are crying out for more help to choose the right school, but it’s hardly surprising they are turned off by dry and regulatory-based Ofsted reports,” she said.
She also pointed to a surge in “spurious” online accounts offering lists of the “best schools” or rudest schools, often using out-of-date information. “You also have self-styled university and school coaches … They set themselves up as tutors and then start talking about the best schools, with no context and throwaway comments.”
An Ofsted spokesperson said: “[Our] reports are a key source of information for many parents.
“The changes we’re making to the way we inspect and report our findings later this year will mean parents have access to clear, detailed and useful information about schools, colleges and nurseries.”
