boarding schools: national minimum standards underwood... · from september 2011 accredited...

SBSA Symposium -- 10th June 2013

Boarding Schools: National

Minimum Standards

Adrian Underwood

ISI Reporting Inspector & Boarding Governor, Wymondham College

Formerly National Director of the

Boarding Schools’ Association


Pre 2002 – Local Authority inspection of boarding

“Standards” as decided by each authority

An unsatisfactory situation

With the election of Labour as the government in 1997, it

was decided that there would be National Standards for all

residential settings

The boarding sector decided it would offer Boarding

Standards to the Government with the aim of having an

agreed set of Standards which the sector would be pleased

to see enforced

The Background


The BSA took the lead and convened a National Committee

with representatives from:-

The Department for Education

The Department of Health

HMI

The independent school associations: AGBIS, GSA, HMC,

IAPS, ISA, ISBA, SHMIS (now The Society of Heads)

STABIS (now SBSA)

BSA

The National Committee


A key figure on this committee and a major contributor to

the drafting of the Standards was Dr Roger Morgan, now

the Children’s Rights Director for England.

Many meetings held

Finally, the 52 Standards were submitted to Government

They were published in 2002 in the form submitted by the

committee with very little alteration

They were used to improve boarding provision and as a

basis for inspection from March 2002

The National Committee


National inspection by the National Care Standards

Commission (NCSC) succeeded by the Commission for

Social Care Inspection (CSCI) succeeded by Ofsted until

September 2011

From September 2011 accredited independent boarding

schools in membership of one of the independent school

associations have been inspected by the independent

Schools Inspectorate (ISI)

An ISI boarding inspection is either part of an Integrated

Inspection (usually every 6 years) or is a “stand alone”

Intermediate Boarding Inspection (every 3 years)

2002 onwards - Inspection


From September 2011, state boarding schools and

boarding schools not accredited by one of the five

independent school associations have continued to be

inspected by Ofsted

As with the accredited independent schools, boarding has

to be inspected every three years

Some evidence of integrated inspections for state boarding

schools, but this is not widespread

2002 onwards - Inspection


The NMS led to much improved boarding welfare

throughout the sector

So much so that it was agreed that the 52 Standards did not

have to be retained

A working party revised the Standards and in September

2011 a new set of Standards were published, consisting of

20 Standards

In addition, the prescription within the standards was much

reduced

In 2013 the Standards were further revised to take into

account changes in premises standards

2002 onwards – Revision of

Standards


ISI

The boarding inspection team in an integrated inspection is led by

a Boarding Coordinating Inspector and is integral to the full

inspection team inspecting all aspects of the school, led by the

Reporting (Lead) Inspector

The report in an integrated inspection is:-

The quality of boarding

Outcomes for boarders

Quality of the boarding provision and care

The effectiveness of arrangements for welfare and safeguarding

The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the

boarding provision

The Inspection Regime


ISI

The boarding inspection team in an intermediate inspection is led

by the Reporting (Lead) Inspector

The report in an intermediate inspection is:-

The quality of boarding

Boarding provision and care

Arrangements for welfare and safeguarding

Leadership and management of the boarding provision



Ofsted

The boarding inspection team is led by an Inspector

The report is:-

Overall effectiveness

Outcomes for boarders

Quality of boarding provision and care

Boarders’ safety

Leadership and management of boarding



ELEMENTS COMMON TO BOTH INSPECTIONS

Judgements: Outstanding/Excellent; Good;

Acceptable; Unsatisfactory

Judgements on how well the school meets the 20

Standards

Judgements on how well the school meets the

requirements of the three appendices to the

Standards

Recommendations for improvement




ELEMENTS COMMON TO BOTH INSPECTIONS

Judgements based on:-

What is observed in boarding houses at inspection and outcomes of interviews of boarding staff and boarders.

ALL houses are visited and, at least, ALL Heads of Houses are interviewed


Use the BSA’s Boarding Self-Assessment Toolkit

Consider the Wymondham College model of an

Annual Boarding Review, using Heads of Houses

not being inspected as members of the

inspection team (where numbers of houses

permit)

Ensure boarding policies are up-to-date

Ensure that all the checks and monitoring in the

three NMS Appendices are regularly conducted

and clearly recorded

Maintaining your Standards

boarding schools: national minimum standards underwood... · from september 2011 accredited...

Documents