Inspection reports
Perhaps the most important document you can read about an independent school is its inspection report. The process of inspection is complicated and can look impenetrable to parents; it is involved and often uses a lot of acronyms (be warned) but hang in there and the results are worth it.
Firstly, a bit of background to the process. Schools in membership of the Independent Schools Council (or ISC as it is known) in England are inspected by an organisation called the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), appointed by the Department for Education (DfE). Independent schools which are not in membership of ISC are inspected by Ofsted. ISC is an important organisation as it brings together seven associations of heads, bursars and governors. It therefore collectively represents over 1,400 independent schools, many of whom are well-known regionally and nationally.
Explaining inspections is quite complicated but one of the key things to understand is that schools are inspected to a framework. This ensures consistency between inspections and schools as well as being open...
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Matthew's new and approachable parent guide to choosing a school is spot on. Naturally, the first thing I looked at was his commentary about Heads. Sage, sensible and savvy advice abounds, as does the caveats and cautions about over glossy marketing spin that schools pump out. The book is really well written, entirely from the perspective of supporting parents. It's also a gentle swipe at some of the nonsense schools promote and how to look past it. Parents, also take heed – there are really good pointers about how to be a great parent in your relationship with the school. Unglossed, direct and delivered with humour, Matthew's book helps make things easier for everyone, and in that way, your child has a better chance of being happy and thriving. Remember, it's a two-way relationship, you're not buying a washing machine.
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Finally! A guide that helps parents cut through the branding, shiny PR and glitz, and focuses unapologetically on what should be at the heart of every school choice: a child's happiness.
