Following a recent visit by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, I am delighted to report that we were found to be fully compliant against the Independent Schools Standards Regulations, and can now look forward to a further 3 years of approved activity until our next inspection as required by the Department for Education. The full report can be read on the school website, https://www.clairescourt.com/about-us/reports-and-policies and will soon be visible on the Inspectorate’s own site too.

Very long term watchers of our school will be aware that the school has been inspected by the same Inspectorate regularly since 1990, and we have always been reported on most favourably as a consequence of those visits. Inspections are deeply stressful events, none more than those conducted following the reopening of school reviews by Ofsted and ISI after the Covid-19 pandemic. The sorry saga of that endured by Caversham Primary School in November 2022 is well amplifeied by the BBC headline Ruth Perry: Ofsted inspection ‘contributed’ to head teacher’s death. Claires Court was inspected in that same week, and had to ensure a similar delay; though the findings from the schools were very different indeed, we had made complaint to the Inspectorate about their conduct during their time with us, and had to wait umpteen months in silence whilst they examined our concerns.

Weeks of discussions with our inspectorate followed, as we examined the difficulties the inspection uncovered, not least the lack of written draft report visible until February half-term, literally 12 months ago to the day I write this blog, to then be followed by months of further wrangling with both ISI and DfE. Not withstanding the school’s prior clear commitment to provide appropriate accommodation and provision for the teaching of GCSE Food & Nutrition to boys, as documented in its proposals to DfE/ISI wef September 2023, the Reporting Inspector determined during his visit that we should have done better than this agreed timescale. Our various defences, including agreed policy provision, risk assessment on possible detriment, planning permission for new building not being agreed, or the delays caused by 2 years of pandemic, the tight restrictions on pupils crossing sites as a consequence until March 2022 may well have all been valid, but that did not mean discrimination between genders had not occurred for the few caught up in the period 2021-22.

As this new follow-up report makes clear, and not withstanding the local authority’s ongoing and perplexing delays with granting planning permission, we have both now provided the missing GCSE course for boys and proven beyond doubt that the school’s choice to maintain its Diamond shape, enabling gender separation at secondary level for boys and girls is demonstrably to the benefit of both parties.

Sufficient is now said on this matter; the Inspectorate’s own efforts in visiting the school this term, in covering many of the details of our mutual concerns so well during their visit has concluded their findings in the school’s favour. The many other excellent findings of their visit in November 2022 continue to shine through – we have at our heart the very best interests of our children. our parents and our teachers – and maintaining these endeavours into the future remains the core objective.