I - Inspections, Success is our track record (A to Z Tips)

Preparing your school for an inspection can be time consuming and even a little frightening, particularly for those experiencing an inspection for the first time.

Firstly, it is important to point out that now is a good time to get the process underway. Preparation is one of those jobs that, if left, is easily forgotten. Support can be given and preparation continued throughout this time, even if your school is closed.

Schools at their best should not find inspection preparation particularly time consuming. They will have everything in place as a matter of course. On the whole, inspection is a check to ensure that your school complies with the regulations, and if it is compliant at all times, which good practice dictates should be the case.

In preparation, it is important to ensure that the school produces good quality evidence to the inspection team, This is in order to show off the excellence that is present. The collection of this evidence should be systematic and delivered through an inspection cycle. The SLT should consider system to make this a simple process and to help avoid any rush as the school moves into the inspection time zone. It is unrealistic to believe that inspection preparation is a quick fix that can take place in the months before your date; this approach may ‘get a school through’ but is unlikely to have the excellent result that all schools should be aspiring to.

We run Health Check visits to schools to advise on how schools can prepare efficiently for their time in the spot light; here are a few tips…

1. Arrange a pre inspection health check by an independent person/team well before you are due to welcome an inspection team. If performed well, this will help Heads to focus on the areas that need to be improved and provide the confidence to show off what you have done well.

2. Look forward to showing off your school and ensure the staff are positive about the opportunity to do so. Inspections are no longer the combative exercises that they were in the 90s and the inspection team will want to find and highlight great practice. Generally, they have been largely supportive to schools for the last twenty years but the Whitehead legend persists and there are the odd difficult lead inspectors around.

3. Make sure that you have evidence that ensures the inspectors experience a week of ‘show and tell’ from the school and not ‘hide and seek’ by the team. Evidence of compliance for NMS and ISSRs.

4. Prepare your staff and governors to show themselves at their best; like an exam, there are techniques to make the process more enjoyable and to gain top results.

5. Help your governors to manage the inspection interview so they know, and can prove, that they undertake their responsibilities.

6. Review your policies in line with your new teaching techniques to ensure you are still compliant. For example, does your pupil safeguarding policy take in to account remote learning? Do you have a safeguarding hotline for home based pupils and have your teaching staff be made aware of your school’s new safeguarding arrangements?

Headspace Academics can provide independent scrutiny and advice for Heads, staff, and Governors to smooth the process and reduce any concerns. Our consultants are trained inspectors and have experience of successfully supporting schools in the run up to, and though, inspections.

Call or direct message us; we are here to help.