The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) is an organisation responsible for the inspection of independent schools in England which are members of organisations affiliated to the Independent Schools Council (ISC). The Inspectorate is a separate company and has its work monitored by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted). It is one of three independent schools inspectorates empowered to carry out inspections through an agreement with the Department for Education (DfE). ISI's work is monitored by Ofsted on behalf of the DfE. Independent schools which are not members of the ISC are mostly inspected by Ofsted but some are inspected by the Schools Inspection Service (SIS) or Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI). Ofsted was also responsible for all boarding school welfare inspection but ISI has, as of January 2012, taken this on for schools belonging to organisations affiliated to the ISC.
The service is run by a Board of Directors, some members of which are representatives of individual school associations, plus three other independent representatives including Mark Stephens.
The head of the service, known as the Chief Inspector, is Christine Ryan.
Independent schools in other parts of the United Kingdom are inspected by the relevant national inspectorate:
- Northern Ireland: Education and Training Inspectorate
- Wales: Estyn
- Scotland: Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education
Famous quotes containing the words independent and/or schools:
“Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man or man independent of woman. For just as woman came from man, so man comes through woman; but all things come from God.”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 11:11.
In v. 9, Paul wrote “Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.”
“If Jesus, or his likeness, should now visit the earth, what church of the many which now go by his name would he enter? Or, if tempted by curiosity, he should incline to look into all, which do you think would not shut the door in his face?... It seems to me ... that as one who loved peace, taught industry, equality, union, and love, one towards another, Jesus were he alive at this day, would recommend you to come out of your churches of faith, and to gather into schools of knowledge.”
—Frances Wright (1795–1852)