Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that schools in membership of member associations of the Independent Schools Council have confidence in changes to the arrangements under which they are inspected.

My officials have discussed these matters with the Independent Schools Council (ISC). We have also taken into account the responses of ISC and its member associations to the recent consultation on independent inspectorates, and as a result are making changes to the advice for independent inspectorates, which we will finalise shortly.

If the Independent Schools Inspectorate makes any changes to its inspection arrangements, we would expect it to consult with their schools and the associations before implementing any changes.