Outstanding schools and colleges in England are to be stripped of their exemption from regular inspections, overturning a policy introduced by the former education secretary Michael Gove.

The Department for Education said that from September it plans to return to a five-year cycle of inspections for state schools rated by Ofsted as outstanding , fulfilling an election promise by the Conservatives and an earlier pledge by the education secretary, Gavin Williamson.

Since 2012, schools with an outstanding rating have been exempt from routine inspection. But some schools have not been inspected by Ofsted for a decade, with Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools in England, concerned at the lack of oversight.

Around 3,700 state schools in England will be affected by the rule change, which the DfE said underlined the government’s view that school inspection “serves a vital purpose” in improving standards.

“Parents want to know that they are making the best, most informed choices about their children’s education. Making sure that all schools are regularly inspected means they will benefit from the expert insight Ofsted provides when making these decisions,” said Williamson.

“We know parents trust Ofsted – and with good reason. It serves a valuable purpose as the only organisation that gives a clear, accessible and impartial view on school and college performance.

“But it’s also far more than that – it’s a driver of improvement. Although we continue to trust our best schools and colleges to get on with the job of educating, without Ofsted standards would go unchecked and the exemption meant there is often not an up-to-date picture.”

The changes are subject to a formal consultation launched by the DfE, with the proposals subject to parliamentary approval. The DfE said the schools that have gone the longest without inspection will be Ofsted’s top priority.

During last year’s election campaign the Conservatives also pledged to make all Ofsted inspections no-notice, as well as extending the length of full inspections from two to three days, with the extra time used to examine “behaviour, bullying and a school’s extracurricular offer,” including sport.

Duncan Baldwin, deputy director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, which represents many secondary school heads, said the union supported the change.

“The policy of exempting them from the normal inspection cycle was well-intentioned and safeguards were built into the system in the event of there being concerns at a school or college.

“However, it has resulted in parents going too long without the verification of an inspection at a number of schools and colleges, and it is time to reverse the policy,” Baldwin said.

Last year the National Audit Office found that hundreds of schools have not been inspected in the past eight years, and nearly 300 had not been inspected for a decade.

During the 2018-19 academic year Ofsted upped its inspections of outstanding schools, after a request from ministers. Of the 382 schools inspected, only 63 retained their outstanding rating, while 89 were classed as requiring improvement and 19 were inadequate.