Inspection reports

The inspection report is singularly the most important document a prospective parent should read prior to considering a school for their child. In this chapter, Matthew looks at the background to reports, how they are structured and the insight to be gained from reading them.

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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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Disclaimer: Independent education has a wide range of views and the use of quotations does not imply that these contributors share the same views as the author. The views and opinions of the author may also not necessarily be shared by all schools mentioned in this book. The author and publishers do not warrant, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, that the contents are error-free and shall not be liable for any loss, however arising, as a result of the information contained in this book.

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