INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE-SUBJECT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT?

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE

Will be made subject to the Freedom of Information Act

Comment

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is not currently subject to the freedom of information requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. It is one of the bodies that were consulted on possible inclusion in a section 5 order (that is an order made under section 5 of the Act that allows the Lord Chancellor to designate an organisation that exercises a public function as a public authority) However, to date, no decision has been made. Academies, for example ,used not to be subject to the FOI but were last year included under section 5 in order to ensure greater transparency. It is expected, though, that ISI will be subject to an order later this year and the Ministry of Justice will liaise with all organisations that will be affected by the order to ensure that they will be able to meet the requirements once the order has commenced. Independent schools not under the remit of Ofsted are inspected by either the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Bridge Schools Inspectorate or Schools Inspection Service. The inspectorates work to a framework consistent with that operated by Ofsted. Further information may be obtained from the individual inspectorates. Contact details can be found using the following links:

Bridge Schools Inspectorate

http://www.bridgeschoolsinspectorate.co

Independent Schools Inspectorate http://www.isi.net/home/

Schools Inspection Service

http://www.schoolinspectionservice.co.uk

Note

Academies are inspected under the same inspection framework as for maintained schools so all inspections are undertaken by Ofsted. Some of these inspections are led by HMI, others by lead inspectors appointed by Ofsted’s inspections service providers. (ie Tribal, Serco, CfBT Education Trust). All inspectors have to operate to the standards of HMI. The selection of inspectors ,of course, for the inspection of Academies is solely a matter for Ofsted and its inspection contractors.

January 27, 2012 - Posted by montrose42 | academies, Coalition Education Policy, independent schools, quality assurance and inspection | freedom of information and the independent schools inspectorate, independent schools inspections

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About

Patrick Watson provides policy intelligence and analysis, with a range of other public affairs support services, to clients in the education, skills, training and guidance sectors.

He is Managing Director of Montrose Public Affairs Consultants Ltd.

He believes that the best education systems, worldwide, give autonomy to schools, rooted in their local communities, to run their own affairs. Centrally driven interventions should be kept to a minimum, and then only in inverse proportion to success. Interventions driven by short-term political agendas can, too often, be immensely damaging to learners’ interests, imposing additional costs and bureaucracy on Heads, governors and teachers, while failing to add value or to measurably improve outcomes. Sound evidence should inform both policy and practice and the system should be accountable and transparent, driven by learners interests.

Education should not be a state monopoly and there should be mixed service provision, offering a diverse range of service providers from state, profit and not for profit sectors, demand rather than supply driven. The current system too often allows producers perceived interests to prevail.

Good teachers and good teaching are at the core of the best education systems. So, recruit the best, give them throughout their careers the best training and reward their success. If teachers fail to meet the highest standards , help them to improve, or assist their exit from the profession. We owe this to our children.

The Government’s role should be limited to maintaining an enabling environment, to allow autonomous schools to thrive, to ensure proper regulation and accountability for both standards and the use of public funds, while safeguarding the interests of the most disadvantaged, including, particularly, those most at risk of exclusion.

The views and opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect those of our clients.

This site includes selected Montrose comment pieces for clients (about fifteen per cent of our comment output) extracted from different weekly reports. Our bespoke client reports, apart from the policy analysis element , include monitoring of the media, the web and blogosphere ( Web sites,blogs and Tweets), Westminster, Whitehall, the Think Tanks, Research and Non Departmental Public Bodies and international developments in education. Our reports are designed to suit individual clients’ interests and to support senior managers in making informed decisions. We also undertake commissioned research on education policy issues, domestic and international. For further information:

e-mail: montrosepw@ntlworld.com

Tel: 0207 207 1435

Twitter @pwatsonmontrose

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