How to Ensure Consistent Compliance with the Independent School Standards

All independent schools in England must meet the independent school standards (ISS). It is a condition of their registration with the Department for Education (DfE) and the single most important piece of legislation for any independent school that aims to keep its doors open.

The latest inspection statistics published by Ofsted (at the time this guidance was last updated) showed that approximately 27% of schools failed meet the ISS during standard inspections between September 2019 and March 2020. The same data showed that 58% of schools who had previously failed to meet the standards were unable to demonstrate compliance during follow-up progress monitoring inspections.

We developed a 4 - step strategy which, if implemented effectively, will help school leaders ensure consistent compliance with the ISS. This strategy was put together specifically to address all the reasons schools fail to meet the ISS. Here are these 4 steps.