Standards & Inspection

Standards

BSA schools are subject to a variety of different sets of Standards, depending on their geographical location. The Standards contain arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children for whom accommodation is provided by boarding schools. They provide the minimum standards below which no school is expected to fall in securing outcomes for boarders. National Minimum Standards

 

England: National Minimum Standards for Boarding

These Standards are applicable to almost all boarding schools in England, whether inspected by Ofsted or by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate

NMS ENGLAND (BOARDING)

Download the Self Assessment NMS Toolkit here

OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER HELP AT HAND POSTER

OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONER HELP AT HAND FLYER

 

England: National Minimum Standards for FE Colleges

These standards apply to Further Education Colleges which have boarders aged over 16. Colleges which have more than five students aged under 16 must check their status to ensure they are using the correct standards

FE BOARDING STANDARDS 2018

 

Scotland: National Minimum Standards for Boarding

A new set of Care Standards will be introduced in Scotland from April 2018

CARE STANDARDS SCOTLAND

STANDARDS FROM APRIL 2018

CARE INSPECTORATE QUALITY FRAMEWORK

 

Wales: National Minimum Standards for Boarding

NMS WALES

 

Northern Ireland: RQIA Provider Guidance for Boarding Schools

RQIA NORTHERN IRELAND

 

Isle of Man: National Minimum Standards for Boarding

THE STANDARDS IN THE ISLE OF MAN

 

International

Please contact BSA for details of arrangements outside the UK. BSA international members can apply to have their BOARDING provision assessed by BSA:

BSA ACCREDITATION OF INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS

 

Inspection

 

England

Independent Schools in England which are members of an association (HMC, GSA, IAPS, SoH or ISA) will normally be inspected by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate, according to the following framework:

State boarding schools. and those boarding schools which are not members of an association (which does not include BSA), will generally be inspected by Ofsted, according to the Social Care Common Inspection Framework

ISI member schools are advised to use their ISI login to access the relevant documents. The Framework document can be downloaded :

ISI FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT

Schools inspected by Ofsted should be aware that they will most likely have a separate registration number for their boarding and for the education side, even if on occasion they are inspected simultaneously. Details of the Ofsted education inspections can be found on the Ofsted website.

Boarding is inspected by Ofsted according to the Social Care Common Inspection Framework. Full details are on the SCIFF pages.

OFSTED FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT

Scotland

Scottish schools have their education inspected by Education Scotland and their boarding by the Care Inspectorate  who refer to it as “Schoolcare Accommodation”. Member schools in Scotland should contact BSA or SCIS for further information.

 

Wales

Education in Wales is inspected by Estyn, with boarding accommodation being inspected by Care Inspectorate Wales (previously CSSIW). BSA understands that the future intention is for joint inspections to take place where possible.

Estyn inspections have changed recently, and full details can be found at the Estyn website.

Care Inspectorate Wales inspects schools under the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, which came into force on 1st April 2018. Full details are available on the CIW website.