How much weight do parents give to ISI inspection reports?

[Artyfab]

Please can I ask you all as private school parents, or prospective ones, how much weight you put on ISI inspection reports? Do you read them before choosing a school? If your DC’s school failed one would it make you reconsider your choice?
I ask as a teacher in an independent school. We are awaiting inspection and are consumed by the prep for it but I’ve never really heard parents mention them. It doesn’t seem to be as big as deal as OFSTED, for example.

None

I checked the fundamentals like safeguarding on the ISI report before applying.

Otherwise, I relied on previous knowledge, other parents, taster days, and how ds felt about the school.

A school near us has recently had a bad one. I wouldn’t give much weight to that, because I know the reasons and that they’re temporary.

I did read them before choosing DD’s school. I would look at the things that are important to me - safeguarding, teaching quality etc.

I've never read them.

I think it is very difficult to “fail” one. They are mostly schools inspecting each other rather than independent inspectors and not looking to find fault. Not sure many prospective parents read the full reports, mainly just the extracts used in glossy school brochures.

As I thought! I know of quite a few schools that have failed one in that they have not met one of the standards but they are given the chance to rectify it.

I read them

I read them too - it’s another data point, but not the be all and end all.

However, if there were serious concerns raised about safeguarding or wider management/ governance then that would put me off.

It’s already a very difficult and competitive market for private schools so a bad ISI report is definitely something to avoid.

I didn't read them. My SEN child was being massively failed where he was and we knew the pastoral care was great at the Independent. We went to Open Day and within 5 minutes DH and I turned to each other and said 'yes, this is the one'. It was how the teachers interacted with us and our son.

That was 13 years ago! The school has had a single bad report since then- it was brought down for not paying enough attention to inclusivity- which ended up boiling down to not having mixed sex toilets for the trans students in the school. I'm not actually what they did about that, but they didn't make the toilets mixed sex, and their latest report was excellent so I'm okay with that. My child is permitted to use the staff toilets as he has medical issues so I suspect that that was the solution they found.

I read them and I would eliminate a school that had failed one. We're in North London and there are so many private schools that you still have a wide choice after doing that, so it's a quick way of narrowing down the options. I give more weight to personal visits and feedback from local parents, but reading the reports gives useful background information.

I read them, and (unless they show something disastrous) would discuss any issues brought up with the Head when I looked round. They are a data point to consider when making a decision, but not the be all and end all.

I certainly read them - surely it's basic due diligence to check out all information at your disposal before making such a big investment?
That said, I've never heard of a school failing one, and I don't give them the same weight as an Ofsted one.

I know lots of schools that have failed one @Seeline - I’m in the south west and know of three local ones that have failed on one or two standards in last year.

I read them because they give you a ‘feel’ for the school.

In my experience as a teacher ISI inspectors are much more generous than OFSTED inspectors and want you to do well.

Definitely read them but locally they were all glowing so it felt like it would be hard to do badly. Sounds like that's not necessarily the case though.

2 local schools have been given damning ISI reports in last year but it hasn’t impacted admissions. I can’t believe anyone would spend circa 250k without reading them.

From a student's perspective — the lead-up to an ISI inspection is noticeably different from the inside. Staff are slightly more formal, lessons are better prepared, and the atmosphere across the school changes. Inspectors spend time in classrooms and dorms, but the students they speak to are often those the staff feel comfortable putting forward, which doesn't always reflect daily life. Parents who rely purely on the report are seeing a snapshot taken during an unusual few days. The boarding-specific sections of ISI reports are worth reading carefully, particularly around pastoral care — that's the one area that's harder to perform for two days. @boardingschoolguide for more on how boarding schools actually work from the inside.