What it measures
Parent View asks parents and carers how they feel about their child's school. Questions cover whether their child is happy and safe, how well behaviour and bullying are handled, communication from the school, how concerns are dealt with, support for learning and for special educational needs, and whether they would recommend the school. It reflects parents' views, not a measure of pupils' own wellbeing.
Who it’s for
Anyone with parental responsibility for a child at the school can respond, at any time of year. Schools encourage parents to take part, especially when inspection is due, and can use the results to understand what families think. Inspectors look at the responses throughout an inspection and weigh them against other evidence, such as lesson visits and conversations with pupils.
SAMPLE QUESTION
My child is happy at this school.
Strongly agree · Agree · Neither · Disagree · Strongly disagree · Don't know
Example statement for illustration. See the Parent View website for the current questions.
How it’s scored
Parent View has no total score. Parents respond to each statement on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree, with a don't know option, and some questions have extra answers. Results are shown as the percentage of parents choosing each option, as charts that schools, parents and the public can see. Only each parent's most recent response in an academic year counts, and results are saved at the end of each year, so you can compare years.
Validation and source
Parent View is run by Ofsted, the schools inspectorate in England. It is a feedback survey rather than a validated psychometric scale, so results show parents' opinions rather than a scored measurement. Ofsted revised the questions in November 2025 to match its renewed inspection framework. Results for a question are only shown once at least ten parents have answered, and parents can add confidential written comments during an inspection. Responses can also feed into Ofsted's risk assessment of when a school should be inspected.
WHERE YOUHQ FITS
Validated scales measure. youHQ helps you act on what they show.
Parent View tells you what families think, usually once a year and often just before inspection. youHQ gives you evidence from pupils themselves, every day, through quick wellbeing check-ins. With youHQ's new Parents Portal you can also bring families into the conversation. Use Parent View to hear from parents, and youHQ to show inspectors how you know your pupils and act on what they tell you.
Frequently asked questions
How many responses does Parent View need?
Results for a question are only published once at least ten parents have answered it. Below that, nothing is shown publicly for that question.
Do inspectors read Parent View comments?
Yes. Parents can add written comments during an inspection. They are confidential, are not published and are read by inspectors alongside other evidence. Complaints and safeguarding concerns should go through the proper routes instead.
How can schools get more parents to respond?
Ofsted suggests promoting Parent View through your website, newsletters and emails. Schools can also request guest accounts so parents can respond on school devices, for example at parents' evenings.