Report on the Education Development Trust’s inspections of British schools overseas in 2024–26
Updated 14 May 2026
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Letter to the Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson MP
14 May 2026
The Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson MP
Secretary of State for Education
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Report on the Education Development Trust’s inspections of British schools overseas between September 2024 and April 2026
Under direction from you, Ofsted monitors the work of each of the 3 approved British schools overseas (BSO) inspectorates to evaluate the extent to which each inspectorate meets the standards for inspectorates.
I am pleased to attach my report on the work of the Education Development Trust (EDT). This report sets out the extent of our monitoring activity and any judgements we have reached.
You commissioned us to carry out one on-site quality assurance visit to an EDT BSO inspection and to review 4 full evidence bases and reports. This has given us enough evidence to reach a judgement about the quality of EDT’s work. The judgements reached after this monitoring work are explained fully in the attached report.
Yours sincerely
Sir Martyn Oliver
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector
Letter to Noelle Buick
14 May 2026
Noelle Buick
Chief Inspector
Education Development Trust
Report on the Education Development Trust’s inspections of British schools overseas between September 2024 and April 2026
Please find enclosed a copy of the report on the inspection work of the Education Development Trust between September 2024 and April 2026, which I have today sent to the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon. Bridget Phillipson MP. The report will also be published on Ofsted’s website.
Thank you for the work you and your colleagues have done to facilitate Ofsted’s quality assurance work over the last academic year.
Yours sincerely
Sir Martyn Oliver
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector
Report on the British schools overseas inspection work by the Education Development Trust between September 2024 and April 2026
Introduction
The Education Development Trust (EDT) is approved by the Department for Education (DfE) to inspect British schools overseas (BSO) against the BSO standards. BSO is a voluntary scheme established in 2010. Schools that apply to join it must evidence that they meet standards that are comparable to the English independent school standards and the national minimum standards for boarding schools. Schools must be inspected successfully at least every 3 years to maintain their accreditation. There are 3 approved inspectorates, and schools can choose which of these they want to carry out their accreditation inspection.
Each BSO inspectorate is expected to meet the DfE’s standards for inspectorates.
These standards set out the technical proficiency, independence and objectivity that the inspectorates must demonstrate at all times. This report sets out the extent to which EDT meets these standards.
EDT inspection activity between September 2024 and April 2026
Between September 2024 and the beginning of April 2026, EDT carried out 32 BSO inspections. These included schools in the Middle East and Asia.
Ofsted’s monitoring activity
Ofsted carried out one on-site monitoring visit in January 2026. His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) also reviewed evidence bases and reports from 4 other inspections carried out after February 2025 during the 2024/25 academic year.
Key findings
His Majesty’s Inspectors’ judgement is that EDT meets the standards required of BSO inspectorates in full.
- Inspection reports are appropriately detailed and reflect an accurate picture of the evidence collected during inspection. Inspection teams understand the inspection process and generally record evidence with clarity. There is a clear focus on evaluating the extent to which schools meet the BSO standards.
- Feedback given to school leaders is clear.
- Evidence shows that EDT’s training materials effectively address areas for improvement and take positive steps to continuously develop inspection practice. The principles of inspection and relevant updates are systematically shared with inspection teams. For example, clear guidance is now given to inspectors that standards should be judged as either ‘met’ or ‘not met’.
- Inspection practice related to provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strengthening area. Training materials give clear direction for inspectors. There is now greater consistency of practice across inspection teams.
- Inspection teams have appropriate knowledge, understanding and expertise of the schools they inspect and the context of the countries in which they are inspecting.
- EDT’s range of planned inspection activities ensures that evidence bases are complete and supportive of the reporting requirements.
To support continued improvement, we have identified the following next steps:
- Evidence shows a need to continue to develop inspectors’ confidence in evaluating evidence related to provision for pupils with SEND when they record their findings.
- The voice of pupils, especially in informal situations, should be more prominent in inspection activity.
- There is some inconsistency in the way that evidence is gathered and recorded, including in relation to a school’s arrangements for welfare, health and safety. All inspectors should evaluate this evidence in line with the inspectorate’s expectations.