Standards & Compliance
Independent Schools Standards
The Independent Schools Standards is an extensive and complex document. At Schools Plus UK Ltd, we have dedicated staff, with Ofsted training, who can support you with further developing your understanding of the ISS. Our robust systems allows you to work systematically through the ISS requirements and how this relates to the non-association independent school inspection handbook.
Support with School Registration & Documention
At Schools Plus UK Ltd, we can support schools with compiling any necessary paperwork related to policies or practices. Excellent schools are underpinned by clear policies and established guidelines. If it is a timely review of policies which are needed, we will be able to support. Likewise, if it is the need to establish a clear vision for the school, we can help too. We can provide regular feedback to governors and other stakeholders on a variety of documentation which support the school's work generally, or in preparation for inspection. The feedback is always comprehensive and underpinned by clear evidence.
Governance/Proprietors Support
Governors play a vital and pivotal role in school improvement by providing a sense of direction for the work of the school and offering the school both support and challenge. Schools Plus UK Ltd offers support with the development of the role of governors, including self evaluation, roles and responsibilities and implementing a Code of Conduct. Some governors may have specific duties which require them to have more detailed knowledge about an aspect of the school's work. Additionally, governors usually have performance management responsibilities relating to the Head/Principal. External advisory support is always helpful in these circumstances. In a supportive capacity, we can provide independent support by investigating grievances raise by members of the senior leadership team.
Whether you are setting up a new school or have one (or more) already established, whatever your requirements, get in touch to see if we can help.
Governor & Trustee Training - Roles and Responsibilities
Effective governance has always been an essential ingredient to school improvement and in this rapidly changing educational landscape, now never more so. Our work at Schools Plus UK Ltd aims to inspire, develop governor’s knowledge and promote the role of governance in ensuring that more schools become Outstanding.
We have a variety of conferences and in-school training programmes which aim to celebrate the skills and experience of school governors, provide information on the Ofsted framework 2019, outline the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of governors, promote understanding of governor’s compliance guidelines, ensure governors are clear about the questions they need to ask of school leaders and what evidence bases are useful for effective monitoring and evaluation, and develop governor’s understanding of how they can support school leaders.
Review of Compliance
The government has launched a consultation into changing the definition of full-time independent schooling. The consultation concludes "Ministers currently take the view that all such settings, operating full time, during the school day, for compulsory school age children, should register and meet applicable independent school standards so that children of that age receive a suitable education if that is conducted entirely in an educational setting or the hours of operation of such settings make home education effectively impossible."
The challenge and support packages at Schools Plus UK Ltd, can support schools who continue to follow the statutory framework and those who may be new to the ISS framework. There is a comprehensive checklist which we can take you through to ensure that your school is extremely well prepared for any future inspection.