SIAMS

What is a SIAMS inspection?

SIAMS stands for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools. All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the National Society's framework as a process for evaluating the extent to which church schools are "distinctively and recognisably Christian". All Church of England Schools receive a Section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) in addition to the regular Section 5 Ofsted inspection.  These inspections take place on a five year cycle.

 

A new and more rigorous schedule for SIAMS inspections was introduced in 2018. Under this new schedule, the bar for schools has been raised with the old ‘outstanding’ grade being merged into the new ‘good’. Good is now the 'gold standard' for church schools.

 

This new evaluation schedule has one overarching inspection question: 

 

How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels (including governors), in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?

 

This question is evaluated through seven strands:

  • Strand 1: Vision and Leadership
  • Strand 2: Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills
  • Strand 3: Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy
  • Strand 4: Community and Living Well Together
  • Strand 5: Dignity and Respect
  • Strand 6: The impact of collective worship
  • Strand 7: The effectiveness of religious education

 Our most recent report can be found here:

Siams Report
At least every five years the school receives a visit from an inspector who visits to undertake a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS).

This framework sets out the expectations of the National Society (NS) for the conduct of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. It is designed to be used as the basis for the external moderation of a school’s SIAMS referenced self-evaluation. The framework provides a process for evaluating the extent to which church schools are ‘distinctively and recognisably Christian institutions.’ This includes:-

1. Distinctiveness must include a wholehearted commitment to putting faith and spiritual development at the heart of the curriculum.

2. The Christian ethos must permeate the whole educational experience.

3. The importance of clearly ascribed Christian values and their outworking in the life of schools is widely accepted but may need embedding.

4. High quality religious education and collective worship should continue to make major contributions to the church school’s Christian ethos.

5. Pupils should be enabled to engage seriously with and develop an understanding of the person and teachings of Jesus Christ.

6. Every child should be enabled to flourish in their potential as a child of God, as a sign and expression of the Kingdom. This is at the heart of the Church’s distinctive mission.

The schools latest report can viewed here: