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Correspondence

Independent school inspections: letters to Ofsted and ISI

Letters to Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) about the inspection of independent schools and joint working.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
2 March 2015
Last updated:
27 August 2025
Show all updates

  1. Added 'Letter reappointing ISI to inspect independent schools, 2023'.

  2. Updated 'Ofsted Standard Inspection Cycle Letter' with new version.

  3. Added 'ISI Standard Inspection Cycle Letter' and 'Ofsted Standard Inspection Cycle Letter'.

  4. Replaced the 'memorandum of understanding' document with revised direction to Ofsted on monitoring ISI as the only approved independent inspectorate.

  5. Removed letter to the School Inspection Service, which has ceased inspection of schools in England.

  6. Removed letter to the Bridge Schools Inspectorate, which closed on 30 September 2015.

  7. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Letter reappointing ISI to inspect independent schools, 2023

PDF, 225 KB, 6 pages

Ofsted standard inspection cycle letter

PDF, 180 KB, 3 pages

Independent Schools Inspectorate standard inspection cycle letter

PDF, 137 KB, 2 pages

Direction to Ofsted on monitoring of the independent inspectorates for independent schools in England

PDF, 171 KB, 4 pages

Letter reappointing ISI to inspect independent schools, 2015

PDF, 285 KB, 6 pages

Details

Guidance on the approval of independent inspectorates is also available.

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