Regulatory Compliance Inspection Report

December 2017

Earlier this week Mrs Raffray, Headteacher of St Augustine’s Priory, sent to all parents the Regulatory Compliance Inspection Report, the result of an inspection held by the Independent Schools Inspectorate in December 2017, in which St Augustine’s Priory was found to be fully compliant.  It is a brief report, running only to eight pages, listing all the categories in which standards must be met.

These days there are two types of inspection:  Compliance only or Educational Quality and Compliance.  The inspection we underwent was a Compliance only inspection, taking place on Wednesday 6^th and Thursday 7^th December 2017.

The Compliance inspection means just that – it measures how we as a school comply with the standards set for schools.  There are two results only, schools either meet the requirements or not.  In effect, it’s pass or fail.

And we are delighted to report that we met all requirements. As the report states: ‘The school meets the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, and relevant requirements of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and associated requirements, and no further action is required as a result of this inspection’. It was also good to note that the report states that ‘IGCSE performance in the same years [2014 – 2016] has been higher than worldwide norms’.

Although the report is short, this brevity disguises not only its importance for us as a school but also how many standards are set for schools which must be met.

The inspection took place over a Wednesday and Thursday, but schools are not given much notice – we were told on Monday 4^th December that the inspection would take place.  Not much time to prepare, you might think!

However, you don’t prepare for an inspection in two days – ensuring one meets the compliance standards is definitely not a matter of wild panic taking place over the 48 hours before the inspectors arrive.

It is important to always be ready and prepared for an inspection – at any time.  Meeting compliance standards is on-going, a process that is exacting and essential and which never stops.  Meeting the standards is a day in, day out, year in, year out awareness of what standards need to be met, what regulations exist and when they are amended and making sure that our policies, standards of practice and operating are always fully and thoroughly in compliance with the standards set.

Remember – it’s pass or fail.  The inspectors don’t say, ‘oh, well, they did well in most things, let’s pass them’.  You have to pass in everything.  Absolutely everything.  And thanks to the hard work and dedication of all members of our community we are pleased to report that we did pass.

But life is not just about being ready for an inspection.  We at St Augustine’s Priory never lose our focus on what is our raison d’être – the education and well-being of our pupils.

So, please read the report and, when you do, remember that behind the phrase ‘the standard/s relating to ….. is/are met’ is experience, dedication, attention to detail and the passion that knows that the education of young people is an extraordinary privilege and duty.