SIAMS
All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the Church of England Education Office's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS). SIAMS runs to a separate schedule to OfSTED inspections. Schools are inspected no less than 3 to 5 years after their last inspection.
Thorndon Primary was inspected in October 2022 and judged to be 'GOOD'.
SIAMS inspection focusses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and
adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.
The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: “How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?”
This is explored through seven strands:
- Vision and Leadership
- Wisdom, Knowledge, and Skills
- Character Development: Hope, Aspiration, and Courageous Advocacy
- Community and Living Well Together
- Dignity and Respect
- Impact of Collective Worship
- Effectiveness of Religious Education.
One overall grade is awarded reflecting the contribution of these strands to the flourishing of pupils and adults in a Church school.
Thorndon was inspected in October 2022 under the old SIAMS schedule (2018) and judged to be GOOD.
A copy of Thorndon's SIAMS report can be found below:
Details of the new SIAMS Inspection framework from September 2023
All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the Church of England Education Office's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).
SIAMS explores ways in which each school’s theologically rooted Christian vision drives the work, and enables the school to live up to its foundation as a Church school.
The Evaluation Framework (from September 2023) has 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 seven questions:
-
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision enable people 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)?
-
What is the quality of religious education in (former) voluntary aided schools, or in former voluntary controlled schools in which denominational religious education is taught?
Having evaluated the evidence made available under the six/seven 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. This is for the following reason/s.
SIAMS runs to a separate schedule to Ofsted inspections. Schools are inspected no less than 3 to 5 years after their last inspection. To find out more about the SIAMS inspection process, please see the SIAMS Framework for Inspection (2023) document here.