Independent Schools Inspectorate


The Independent Schools Inspectorate is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are members of organisations affiliated to the Independent Schools Council. It is one of three independent schools inspectorates empowered to carry out inspections through an agreement with the Department for Education. As of January 2012, ISI also inspects all boarding school welfare provision for the schools within its remit, making it the largest inspectorate of school boarding provision in the UK. ISI's work is monitored by Ofsted on behalf of the Department for Education.
Most independent schools which are not members of the ISC are inspected by Ofsted; others are inspected by the School Inspection Service. ISI is a DfE approved inspectorate for British Schools Overseas and provides education services, including inspection, in all the continents of the world except Antarctica and Australia.
ISI also conducts Educational Oversight inspections of private further education colleges and English language schools in England and Wales on behalf of the Home Office. These inspections provide reports on the quality of education in organisations holding a Tier 4 licence to sponsor international students under the Points Based System. The inspections are for the benefit of the students and seek to improve the quality and effectiveness of their education.
The service is run by a Board of Directors under the Independent Chair of Christine Swabey. Some board members are nominated by associations but not representatives of them, and there are three other independent directors including Mark Stephens.
The head of the service, known as the Chief Inspector, is Kate Richards.