Accountability and school inspections

We are a world authority on school inspection and evaluation, having inspected schools around the world for almost 30 years. We work with governments to raise standards in schools through accountability: we support better education metrics, inspection and quality assurance systems and help policymakers and practitioners use data for decision-making and accountability at all levels.

Excellence in school inspections around the world

We work hand-in-hand with governments to design and implement effective inspections frameworks that work with the local context and demands. We have a long history of expertise in inspections and accountability, having collaborated with Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills in England, since its establishment in 1993. As a world leader in accountability, we continue to develop evidence-informed accountability and school evaluation methodologies specifically designed to meet the needs of individual education systems – in both high-income and low-and-middle-income contexts.

Our international footprint extends to working in partnership with government agencies in countries as diverse as India, Thailand and Jamaica, and we have an excellent track record of improving school standards through inspection in the Middle East. From setting up Dubai’s very first inspections framework with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, to reviewing school quality on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, we are an established authority in the region.

Our International Schools Quality Mark accreditation

Our world-leading expertise now extends not only to countries around the world, but also to our own international school inspection framework, the International Schools Quality Mark (ISQM). This accreditation for international schools is awarded subject to rigorous quality standards, demonstrating that a school has shown high standards of student achievement, an effective curriculum, effective use of resources, a successful leadership team, and partnerships with parents and the community. Alongside inspection for accreditation, our teams also offer continued advice and support to ISQM-accredited schools.

Inspecting British schools overseas

We are authorised by the Department for Education (DfE) in England to inspect British schools overseas – international schools offering a UK curriculum – through the Inspection of British Schools Overseas (BSO) process. With endorsement from the DfE and using a transparent framework of quality expectations, inspection under this system is benchmarked against the standards expected of effective independent schools in England. The BSO process is monitored and quality-assured by the government school inspection agency for England, Ofsted (the Office for Standards in Education).

The value of the BSO inspection lies, above all, in the rigour of the inspection process that gives recognition to a school and highlights both its strengths and weaknesses in relation to clearly defined standards and expectations. This reference provides reassurance for current and prospective parents and a focus for further development.

We provide schools with an inspection service delivered by quality-assured and respected inspectors with high levels of credibility and relevant experience. Our BSO inspections also benefit from local intelligence derived from our global presence through our offices in many of the key markets for British schools overseas.

Access our inspection reports