Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to subject those independent schools that are outside the ambit of the Independent Schools Council to more stringent and frequent inspection in order to counter teaching of extremist views.
Independent schools that are not under the membership of an association belonging to the Independent Schools Council are either inspected by Ofsted or the School Inspection Service. In either case, schools are inspected at least every three years against the Independent School Standards.
There are no plans at present to increase the frequency of inspection, although the department is able to commission inspections of independent schools where there are concerns that the standards may not be met. The standards were strengthened significantly in 2014 and 2015 to include more stringent requirements to prevent extremism, including the requirement that schools must actively promote the fundamental British values. A summary of these changes, entitled ‘Revised independent school standards’, is attached. It is important that all schools are inspected rigorously against these standards.