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ISI Inspection Reports
Regulatory Compliance – October 2022
In October 2022, the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) conducted a routine, triennial, whole-School Regulatory Compliance Inspection (RCI) of Beechwood Park including the School’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Minimum Standards for Boarding.
Please note that in an RCI, inspectors decide whether or not schools comply with the following eight sections of the Department for Education’s Independent Schools Standards Regulations (ISSRs) which cover all aspects of school life:
- Part 1: Quality of Education;
- Part 2: Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of pupils (SMSC);
- Part 3: Welfare, health and safety of pupils;
- Part 4: Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors;
- Part 5: Premises of and accommodation at schools;
- Part 6: Provision of Information;
- Part 7: Manner in which complaints are handled;
- Part 8: Quality of leadership in and management of schools.
The standards represent minimum requirements, and judgements are given either as met or not met. (They do not therefore reach qualitative judgements about the School’s educational provision or management).
During the course of the Inspection at Beechwood, ISI inspectors analysed written and verbal feedback from staff, parent and pupil surveys, met with the Head, Bursar, Governors, staff and pupils and scrutinised a range of documentation, records and policies covering all aspects of school compliance.
We are delighted to announce that the ISI found Beechwood to be compliant in all areas and that it had no recommendations for improvement, the highest possible achievement in this form of inspection.
Head, Ed Balfour said “I am proud of the very significant roles that our teaching and non-teaching staff have had in ensuring our full compliance over the past seven years and that ISI have not made a single recommendation for improvement over the past three inspections. I am particularly grateful to the Bursar and the rest of the Senior Leadership Team for their outstanding attention to detail and to our teaching and non-teaching staff for their collective contributions to this impressive outcome.”
You can read the Report here.
Educational Quality Inspection – January 2019
Beechwood received an ISI Educational Quality Inspection in January 2019.
What is included in an Educational Quality inspection report?
“Educational quality inspection reports offer detailed assessments of a school. The report includes an introductory section on the characteristics of the school, such as its aims and ethos.
Reports focus on the two main outcomes for pupils: achievement and personal development. Reports include factors which contribute to these outcomes such as the curriculum, teaching, pastoral care, and governance, leadership and management.”
– ISI
What can an educational quality inspection report tell me about a school?
“Inspection reports give a frank and objective overall account of a school’s provision and outcomes for pupils. They should indicate how well the education caters for pupils of different needs and abilities, how broad the education is, what the atmosphere of the school is like – in terms of the ethos, behaviour of pupils and relationships – and how well pupils are cared for.”
– ISI
The ISI grading system
For Educational Quality Inspections ISI uses grades as part of the report. ISI does not make a single overarching judgement on a school but instead makes a clear judgement for the two aspects using one of the following four grades:
- Excellent
- Good
- Sound
- Unsatisfactory
Inspectors found that Beechwood was EXCELLENT in all areas, and therefore achieved the highest ISI grade possible.
Comments from Inspectors included:
- “Pupils achieve highly because the school nurtures, engages and inspires them to succeed, in line with its mission”
- “Pupils have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. From winning events, prizes and high marks, to supporting those pupils around them and assisting staff, pupils show the highest standards of commitment and compassion”
- “Pupils enjoy high levels of success in a significant number of academic, sporting, dramatic, art and musical areas”
- “Pupils know the teachers know them well, and so feel secure in interactions with any adult”
- Pupils are exceptionally well-behaved, accepting responsibility for their own behaviour and… pupils show a level of respect towards each other far exceeding those expected for their age”
- “The open and trusting relationship that staff and pupils enjoy … leads directly to some excellent pupil choices”
You can read the full report here