Independent ISI vs Ofsted

[papaandmama]

So three private schools in my area have had recent ISI inspections and all of of them have had Excellent in every area. Is this standard? Is it a case of ‘grade inflation’ where they know it’s not in their interest to bring down independent schools or does ISI get tough and criticise schools when necessary?
(It got me thinking because one of the schools that is supposedly ‘excellent’ doesn’t seem that great…)

@CiaoParentThats the road to closure though. Discounts keep pupils but then results might mean the school isn’t favoured anyway. Either way it’s losing money and that rarely is good for parents and dc.

The government benchmarks state schools on value for money. Governors are expected to track their position within their tranche of similar benchmarked schools. Private ones just benchmark against local competitors. They can also say they are pastorally great and non pushy. A quick read of MN can tell you this is a common wish of parents. I do think some private schools are poor and incompetent. Parents won’t find that out from ISI.

if you can’t raise standards of academics, send support or safeguarding then parents vote with their feet….

Sometimes however some parents feel too invested. they chose the school and bizarre conflicts happen in some minds and they can’t un-choose the school however bad it gets. I would also say that for some the fear of a state makes them see the independent with rose-tinted spectacles, rumours run rife. When my daughter left the indie junior school and didn’t stay on for seniors one parent told me ‘but they don’t have doors on the toilets there and they’ve had stabbings. ‘ Neither were true.

@PettsWoodParadise At a selective grammar?! I do agree with you though - about blind faith. It’s also hard to say you were wrong. DD2 left after y1 in our local independent. They had 36 in y1. By y6 they had 4 dc. So some of us could see the issues! A lot moved for y3 at far superior private schools too. Higher fees though and too many parents could not really afford private education so they stayed on or left for state. EY was fantastic but other teachers and facilities were poor. Improvements not implemented etc.

Spot on again.
its astounding just how much a private school/business can get away with - if the will to do so comes from the top…