SIAMS

SIAMs Inspections (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools)

In a similar way to Ofsted, all Church of England schools are visited regularly and the current inspection schedule (2023) states:

SIAMS inspectors will explore with school leaders how they understand the specific context of the school, and whether they know how to respond to it theologically. Local, diocesan, and national expertise will help school and trust leaders to explore this, so that they can be confident in answering three key questions:

1. Who are we as a school?

2. What are we doing here?

3. How, then, shall we live and learn together?

This is explored through 6 inspection questions:

How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision enable pupils and adults to flourish?
How does the curriculum reflect the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision?
How is collective worship enabling pupils and adults to flourish spiritually?
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create a culture in which pupils and adults are treated well?
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create an active culture of justice and responsibility?
Is the religious education curriculum effective (with reference to the expectations set out in the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement for Religious Education)?

Having evaluated the evidence made available under the six inspection questions, the inspector will award the school one of the two following judgements.

J1 - Through its vision and practice, the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.

J2 The school’s vision and practice are not enabling it to fully live up to its foundation as a Church school. The inspector will then give reasons for this.