Independent School Inspections

[Girlmum2024]

Hi
Does anyone know if parents and students are invited to give feedback when an independent school is inspected?

Yes if it's the independent schools inspectorate.

Thanks. Yes it is. What's the format? Is it online?

Background: Just speaking to my sister in law and she says they had a recent inspection but she wasn't aware she could provide feedback as it hadn't been asked of her...

The head has also just resigned but the governors have announced it is because he has led the school through a successful inspection which was his original mission and wants to now move on - he's been there for 18 months. But the report has not been shared and she is frustrated that she didn't have a chance to feedback and concerned as to why the head has left so suddenly if the inspection was good. Her DD only just joined in September!

Iirc there was a questionnaire, probably would be online now,

Thanks - where can she find it?

A questionnaire should be sent to all parents as part of the ISI inspection process. It is only live for a few days- responses must be returned before the inspection concludes. She won't be able to access it now.

I see. That's odd as she didn't get it and seems the other mums on her class whatsapp group didn't either.

She is happy at the school but has come from an unstable prep and is now worried that the head has gone following the inspection. Doesn't look good? When will the report be public? Odd that the governors have said very little.

There could be numerous reasons why the head has left but it’s very unlikely because he has led the school through a successful inspection! Could be personal problems, a clash with the governors or numerous other things. Under two years at a school is rarely a sign of things going well.

Yes that's the worry. It just seems very odd timing but the inspection was apparently successful. You'd think he would want to stay and bask in the glory of it! so speculation that it wasn't successful in whole and the ISI gave some less than positive feedback.

I only have experience of schools inspected by the ISI. Whenever there has been an inspection, we’ve always received an email from the Head attaching details of a parental questionnaire. We normally only have a day or 2 to complete it. I think the children get sent a questionnaire as well.

Some independent schools are inspected by Ofsted, which I have no experience of.

You can find ISI reports here https://www.isi.net/reports/ Is her school on the list?

I don't think schools inspected this term will have had their reports published yet. If the inspection was last term then her DD was not at the school then so they would not have been able to contribute as parents