INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE
INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE
ISI provides assurance on the standards and quality of school life for children and young people in association independent schools in England. The inspectorate reports to the Department for Education on the extent to which these schools meet the statutory Independent School Standards.
For schools providing pupil accommodation, ISI also inspects against additional requirements set out in the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Boarding Schools. All inspection reports are published on the ISI website.
Schools are inspected routinely twice within a six-year cycle or as directed by the Department for Education. Under ISI’s current inspection framework,there is one type of routine inspection. This promotes clarity and consistency in their reporting over time.
There are also three types of non-routine inspection, including ‘additional inspections’ where the Department for Education have reason for a school to be inspected urgently. This could be due to concerns raised by parents, staff or pupils.
Safeguarding is a focus of all inspections. Inspectors review evidence relating to a school’s safeguarding arrangements and report to the Department for Education on the extent to which schools meet their responsibilities. Listening to pupils is central to this process, and every inspection uses anonymous pupil, parent and staff questionnaires as a crucial part of the inspection evidence. Inspectors also speak to pupils in groups on inspection.
Quality assurance is embedded at every stage of ISI’s inspection process. This includes a high-quality training and development programme for their 1000-strong inspector workforce. Every year ISI delivers, on average, over 300 hours of qualification, induction and annual training.
ISI’s independence is essential to delivering reliable and valid judgements on the schools they inspect. Their governance structure and policies ensure they operate as a fully independent inspectorate. They have an independent Board of Directors, which holds the senior management team to account for the delivery and quality of inspections.
Independent Schools Inspectorate
CAP House, 9–12 Long Lane, London EC1A 9HA