Research and analysis

Annual report on inspection work by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2021/22

Updated 29 November 2024

Applies to England

Letter to the Rt Hon. Gillian Keegan MP

The Rt Hon. Gillian Keegan MP
Secretary of State for Education
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT

Annual report on inspection work by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2021/22

I have a duty in my position as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector (HMCI) to prepare and send a report to you, the Secretary of State, about the inspectorates for independent schools at intervals of no more than a year. In practice, this requires me to prepare a report for you on the work of the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). In this, I must have regard to matters that you may direct about the form and contents of the report.

Under the directions that your predecessor set out to me on 4 November 2019, Ofsted only reports on the number of inspections carried out by the ISI and on the extent of the collaborative work carried out. As in previous years, the Department of Education did not commission Ofsted to carry out any additional monitoring activity of ISI in 2021/22.

As both inspectorates returned to routine inspections following the COVID-19 pandemic, our collaborative programme of shadowing inspections has resumed. The focus of this has developed over the year, in response to the ‘Residential schools investigation report’, published by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in March 2022. We will continue to retain our focus on inspecting safeguarding in schools over the coming academic year.

Yours sincerely

Amanda Spielman
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector

Letter to Vanessa Ward, Chief Inspector

Vanessa Ward
Chief Inspector
Independent Schools Inspectorate
Cap House
9─12 Long Lane
London
EC1A 9HA

Annual report on inspection work by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2021/22

Please find enclosed a copy of the 2021/22 annual report for the Independent Schools Inspectorate, which I have today sent to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon. Gillian Keegan MP. The annual report will also be published on Ofsted’s website.

As both inspectorates returned to routine inspections following the COVID-19 pandemic, our collaborative programme of shadowing inspections has resumed. The focus of this has developed over the year, in response to the ‘Residential schools investigation report’, published by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in March 2022.

Thank you for the collaborative work that you and your colleagues have been involved with over the last year and for the information provided to Ofsted. We look forward to working with you next year.

Yours sincerely

Amanda Spielman
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector

Annual report on inspection work by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in the academic year 2021/22

Introduction

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is approved by the Secretary of State for Education to inspect registered independent schools belonging to the associations that make up the Independent Schools Council (ISC). This includes its registered early years provision and boarding provision.

Under section 107(1) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, HMCI has a duty to prepare and send a report to the Secretary of State about the inspectorates for independent schools, at intervals of no more than a year. Under section 107(2), HMCI must have regard to matters that the Secretary of State may direct about the form and contents of the report.

Under the directions set out by the Secretary of State to HMCI on 4 November 2019, Ofsted normally only reports on the number of inspections carried out by the ISI and on the extent of the collaborative work carried out. As in previous years, the Department for Education (DfE) did not commission any other monitoring activity by Ofsted in 2021/22.

Ofsted is responsible for registering, regulating and inspecting registered early years provision in accordance with the Childcare Act 2006, including registered provision at independent schools. ISI is approved to inspect registered early years provision in schools that belong to one of the associations that make up the Independent Schools Council.

When inspecting registered early years provision, ISI inspectors use Ofsted’s education inspection framework (EIF) to determine the quality of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), as set out in the ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’. ISI inspectors follow the inspection guidance set out in its own framework. This ensures uniformity of inspection for all registered early years providers and provides assurance to the Secretary of State, parents and child carers that consistent judgements are made across all registered early years provision nationally. Beyond this, ISI inspects the EYFS in the schools that fall within its remit according to its own agreed framework.

Independent Schools Inspectorate’s inspection activity for 2021/22

From September 2021, ISI’s routine inspection activity resumed to pre-pandemic levels. Between September 2021 and July 2022, ISI carried out 517 inspections of schools. These comprised 281 educational quality inspections and 141 regulatory compliance inspections. Other types of inspection, including additional, material change and progress monitoring inspections, account for the remaining 95 inspections. ISI also carried out 14 inspections of registered early years providers and 26 inspections for British schools overseas.

Ofsted’s collaborative work with the Independent Schools Inspectorate in 2021/22

Over the academic year, Ofsted and the ISI worked together in the following ways.

• We met regularly and jointly with the DfE to align inspection practice to take account of the continued impact of the pandemic on schools and registered early years providers. This included working with the DfE to ensure that the return to routine inspection, and how the impact of COVID-19 on schools was considered during inspections, continued to be aligned across the state and independent sectors.

• We met jointly with DfE to share information on groups of two or more schools, in particular those that share the same proprietor or those that offer the same curriculum approach but are subject to different inspectorates. This ensures greater consistency of our approaches to inspection practice.
• We carried out a programme of joint inspection shadowing. The programme has focused on how inspectors gather evidence about schools’ arrangements to keep pupils safe, specifically how inspectors gather the views of pupils on inspection. This work will continue into the next academic year.
• We carried out a programme of joint inspection shadowing of registered early years inspections to inform best practice in each organisation.
• We developed a memorandum of understanding that details how Ofsted and ISI will work together to exercise their respective functions in relation to registered early years provision in independent schools.
• We delivered a series of joint webinars to independent school leaders, including safeguarding leaders in schools, on the subject of child-on-child sexual abuse and school culture.
• We attended each other’s conferences and training events for both schools and early years. We jointly presented at the ISI national conference in September 2021.
• Ofsted met with ISI to support with its plans for consulting on its new framework in May 2022. This included sharing what Ofsted had learned from its consultations with schools and other interested external groups in preparation for the launch of the EIF.

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