Inspection of independent schools

Guidance for Ofsted inspectors, resources for staff and parents. Inspection handbook, school action plans, emergency inspections.

Guidance and regulation

Independent school inspection: toolkit, operating guide and information
- Guidance
- 5 November 2025
- Ofsted
Regulating independent schools
- Guidance
- 21 August 2019
- Department for Education
Inspecting non-association independent schools
- Detailed guide
- 23 May 2024
- Ofsted
Additional inspections of independent schools: handbook for inspectors
- Guidance
- 21 January 2025
- Ofsted
Regulating and inspecting association independent schools with an early years registration
- Guidance
- 7 November 2025
- Ofsted

See more guidance and regulation in this topic

News and communications

Independent school inspections: letters to Ofsted and ISI
- 27 August 2025
- Department for Education
- Correspondence
Consultation on changes to official statistics on independent schools
- 25 July 2023
- Ofsted
- News story
Steiner schools: Amanda Spielman writes to Damian Hinds July 2019
- 22 July 2019
- Ofsted
- Correspondence
The Branch Christian School: warning notice
- 11 February 2019
- Department for Education
- Correspondence
Steiner schools: Damian Hinds writes to Amanda Spielman
- 31 January 2019
- Department for Education
- Correspondence

See more news and communications in this topic

Research and statistics

Non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes in England: August 2025
- 11 November 2025
- Ofsted
- Official statistics
Non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes: management information
- 11 September 2025
- Ofsted
- Statistical data set
Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI): annual Ofsted report letters
- 29 November 2024
- Ofsted
- Research
Non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes in England: August 2024
- 14 November 2024
- Ofsted
- Official statistics
Non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes in England: August 2023
- 14 November 2023
- Ofsted
- Official statistics

See more research and statistics in this topic

Policy papers and consultations

Changes to Ofsted inspection fees for independent schools
- 25 September 2025
- Department for Education
- Closed consultation
- Date closed 20 November 2025
Regulating independent educational institutions
- 6 May 2022
- Department for Education
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 27 November 2020
Education inspection framework 2019: inspecting the substance of education
- 29 July 2019
- Ofsted
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 05 April 2019
Independent schools: Ofsted inspection fees
- 6 June 2019
- Department for Education
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 16 January 2019
Operating the independent school regulatory system
- 30 April 2019
- Department for Education
- Consultation outcome
- Date closed 05 June 2018

See more policy papers and consultations in this topic

Transparency and freedom of information releases

Independent schools: warning notices and enforcement letters
- 13 November 2025
- Department for Education
- Transparency
Memorandum of understanding: independent schools
- 31 October 2025
- Ofsted
- Corporate report
Independent schools: applications, changes and closures
- 30 October 2025
- Department for Education
- Transparency
Responses to post-inspection surveys: inspections and visits between 1 September 2019 and 31 March 2020
- 24 July 2020
- Ofsted
- Transparency
Bridge School Inspectorate (BSI): annual Ofsted report letters
- 16 November 2015
- Ofsted
- Corporate report

See more transparency and freedom of information releases in this topic

Organisations

Department for Education

Ofsted

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