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Diocesan Inspection

Guidance for Schools

October 2018Version 1.0 6.06.18

Guidance for Schools 2018 1

CONTENTSIntroduction.................................................................................................. 4Section One: Guidance...................................................................................5Part One: Framework and schedule......................................................................................................5

Framework.....................................................................................................................................5

Inspection schedule........................................................................................................................6

Schools exempt under s5...............................................................................................................6

Inspection rescheduling..................................................................................................................6

Part Two: Pre-inspection.......................................................................................................................8

Inspection notice............................................................................................................................8

Self-evaluation................................................................................................................................8

The DSEF Toolkit and the DSEF.......................................................................................................8

Preparing the school for Diocesan Inspection................................................................................8

Conduct..........................................................................................................................................8

Part Three: During inspection..............................................................................................................10

Lesson observations and feedback...............................................................................................10

Joint lesson observations.............................................................................................................10

Guidance on inspecting curriculum provision..............................................................................10

Responding to inspectors’ requests.............................................................................................10

Feedback at the end of inspection...............................................................................................10

Evaluating Progress in primary schools........................................................................................11

Part Four: Post-inspection...................................................................................................................13

Receiving the report.....................................................................................................................13

Post inspection survey..................................................................................................................13

Complaints...................................................................................................................................13

Acting on the report.....................................................................................................................14

Schools receiving ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ grade...............................................14

Section Two: Appendices.............................................................................16Appendix 1: Pre-inspection timeline....................................................................................................17

Appendix 2: Post-inspection timeline..................................................................................................18

Appendix 3: Diocesan self-evaluation form.........................................................................................19

Appendix 4: Documentation required for inspection..........................................................................27

Appendix 5: The post-inspection survey..............................................................................................28

Appendix 6: Timetable for Inspection..................................................................................................29

Primary.........................................................................................................................................29


Secondary.....................................................................................................................................30

Appendix 7: The Code of Canon Law...................................................................................................32

Appendix 8: Education Act 2005..........................................................................................................33

Appendix 9: Extract from the Curriculum Directory............................................................................35


INTRODUCTION

Every Catholic school of whatever kind is subject to a Diocesan Inspection. This inspection is required and regulated by canon law1. Voluntary aided (VA) Catholic schools are also subject to a statutory inspection of denominational education and Collective Worship under section 48 (s48) of the Education Act 2005. Catholic academies are subject to a denominational inspection which is regulated by the academy funding agreement for each academy. For all Catholic VA schools and academies, the Diocesan Inspection outcome and report will serve as either the s48 outcome and report in the case of a VA school, or as the inspection outcome and report required by the academy funding agreement. In short, all Catholic schools of whatever kind will be subject to both section 5 (s5) and Diocesan Inspections.

1 See The Code of Canon Law, canons 804 and 806


SECTION ONE: GUIDANCE

Part One: Framework and scheduleThe Diocesan Inspection of a school provides an independent external evaluation of its effectiveness as a provider of Catholic education and a diagnosis of what it should do to improve, based upon a range of evidence, including that from first-hand observation by inspectors. As a result, a Diocesan Inspection provides parents/carers and the diocese with information about the quality of its Catholic Life, Collective Worship and Religious Education. Diocesan Inspection, therefore, complements section 5 inspections, but should be seen as dealing with matters fundamental to the Catholic school which are not inspected in the s5 inspection.

FrameworkDuring a Diocesan Inspection, three headline judgements will summarise the quality of:

Catholic Life (CL)

Religious Education (RE)

Collective Worship (CW)

For each of these areas of school life, three judgements will be made. Each headline judgement will be informed by the quality of the following in each distinctive area of school life:

Pupil Outcomes (1)

Provision (2)

Leadership and Management (3)

The school will also be given an overall judgement of the quality of Catholic education in that school. This grade will be a summary of the three headline judgements.

In summary, the shape of the Diocesan Inspection framework is:

The overall effectiveness of the school in providing Catholic education

The quality of the Catholic Life of the schoolCL1. The extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic

Life of the school.

CL2. The quality of provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

CL3. How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

The quality of Religious Education RE1. How well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education.

RE2. The quality of teaching and assessment in Religious Education.

RE3. How well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious Education.


The quality of Collective Worship CW1. How well pupils respond to and participate in the school’s Collective

Worship.

CW2. The quality of Collective Worship provided by the school.

CW3. How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for Collective Worship.

Each judgement will be graded according to the following scale:

1 – Outstanding

2 – Good

3 – Requires Improvement

4 – Inadequate

Inspection scheduleDiocesan inspections are scheduled independently from s5 inspections and usually occur according to the following intervals:

For a school which was judged good or outstanding in its last Diocesan Inspection, an inspection will usually occur in the fifth school year following the school year in which they were last inspected.

For a school which was judged to be less than good in its last Diocesan Inspection, an inspection will usually occur in the third school year following the school year in which they were last inspected. In all cases inspection will happen no later than the fifth year in which the school was last inspected.

Whilst these are the usual intervals for inspection, the Bishop has the canonical right to call a Diocesan Inspection of any Catholic school at any time.

Schools exempt under s5Schools exempt from s5 inspection are not exempt from Diocesan Inspection and will be inspected according to the principles laid out above.

Inspection reschedulingSchools will not be able to defer an inspection that the Diocese has scheduled. However, there are a limited number of circumstances in which a decision can be taken that an inspection should not go ahead on the planned dates. The Diocesan policy is that deferral or cancellation should only be granted if:

an Ofsted inspection is announced to occur on one or both of the days already scheduled for a Diocesan Inspection. In such a case, a school may decide not to defer the inspection but should they request deferral it would be granted.

the school has experienced a recent major incident, such as a fatal accident to a pupil or member of staff.


the school is closed to all pupils – for example, owing to a staff training day or adverse weather conditions – for at least half of the period for which the inspection has been scheduled.

at least three quarters of the pupils will not be at school – for example, owing to a school trip – for at least half of the period for which the inspection has been scheduled.

Applications to defer a planned inspection on the grounds that the headteacher is out of school for reasons other than those stated above will not be accepted as pupils at the school are still receiving education.

In the event that an inspector who is scheduled to carry out a Diocesan Inspection discovers that the school for which they are responsible is due to undergo an Ofsted inspection, then the Ofsted inspection will take precedence. In this case the planned Diocesan Inspection would be cancelled and rescheduled.


Part Two: Pre-inspection

Inspection noticeA school will be informed that it is to receive a Diocesan Inspection two working days prior to the beginning of the inspection.

Self-evaluationRegular self-evaluation of the quality of Catholic education should be an integrated feature of whole school self-evaluation processes and should be ongoing. Self-evaluation should not be seen as something which is done in order to prepare for inspection. It will include the use of such things as the DSEF Toolkit and the updating of school SIPs and associated action plans. This is an ordinary expectation of school management and is not required specifically to prepare for inspection. However, the diocese does require the submission of a Diocesan Self-Evaluation Form (DSEF) prior to inspection (see Appendix 3: Diocesan self-evaluation form). This will be requested during the initial pre-inspection contact. Therefore, whilst this document is only requested prior to inspection, schools should prepare it annually so that it is ready to send to an inspector upon request.

The DSEF Toolkit and the DSEFIn order to assist schools in the process of self-evaluating a tool kit has been produced by the Diocese. This is available to download from the Diocesan website. It is designed as an electronic document which will lead schools through a detailed self-evaluation process.

The DSEF Toolkit has been designed to assist schools but there is no obligation to use it. The toolkit is entirely intended for school use and should not be sent to an inspector prior to inspection. It must not be submitted in place of the DSEF.

Preparing the school for Diocesan InspectionAfter the school has been contacted by the inspector, a headteacher must ensure:

that the correct documentation has been sent to the inspector without delay. A list of the documentation to be requested is given in Appendix 4: Documentation required for inspection.

that the documentation requested to be made available during inspection is available. See Appendix 4: Documentation required for inspection.

that the timetable of meetings is populated.

that the school timetable is arranged to allow for an inspector to observe teaching in RE and the celebration of Collective Worship.

ConductIt is important that inspectors and schools establish and maintain a positive working relationship based on courteous and professional behaviour. We expect schools to:

be courteous and professional, treating inspectors with respect and sensitivity.

apply their own codes of conduct in their dealings with inspectors.


enable inspectors to conduct their visit in an open and honest way.

enable inspectors to evaluate the provision objectively against the diocesan frameworks.

provide evidence that will enable the inspector to report honestly, fairly and reliably.

work with inspectors to minimise disruption, stress and bureaucracy.

ensure the good health and safety of inspectors while on their premises.

maintain a purposeful dialogue with the inspector or the inspection team.

draw any concerns about the inspection to the attention of inspectors promptly and in a suitable manner.


Part Three: During inspection

Lesson observations and feedbackIn line with Ofsted policy, lesson grades will not be given. Judgements on the quality of teaching and learning will be informed by synthesizing a wide range of evidence, including: observations, pupil outcomes in RE, work scrutiny, pupil interviews.

Again, in line with Ofsted, feedback to staff will be given upon request but only for those observations which have been longer than 20 minutes and then only in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of what was observed. Feedback is not a dialogue and is not an opportunity to influence the opinion of the inspector but merely an opportunity for teachers to receive some indication of the inspector’s observations of teaching and learning.

Joint lesson observationsHeadteachers may be invited to join the inspector for joint lesson observations. If joint observations are a feature of the inspection, then the focus of the observation becomes the headteacher’s judgement, as well as the quality of teaching and learning in the lesson itself. If joint observations are to be undertaken, the lead inspector and headteacher should agree which lessons to select.

After a joint observation, the inspector and headteacher or member of senior staff should discuss their views about the quality of teaching and learning observed in the lesson. If the headteacher or member of senior staff offers a written record, the inspector can look at this. Any differences in the analysis of the lesson and the judgements made will be explored.

Guidance on inspecting curriculum provisionInspectors will check that the school complies with the requirements of the Bishops’ Conference that there should be 10% of the taught week allocated to Religious Education, except in the sixth form where there should be 5% of the taught week allocated to core Religious Education for all registered students, including those who are studying an A Level in Religious Studies.

Inspectors will determine whether or not Religious Education is given core subject status; that is, whether it has parity in terms of curriculum time, capitation and staffing. If not, this will be reflected in the report. Any disparity in status and provision will impact negatively on a judgement about leadership of RE as outlined in the schedule.

Responding to inspectors’ requestsDuring the course of an inspection an inspector should be feeding back regularly to the headteacher and may well ask for additional evidence to be made available. This is an opportunity for a school to demonstrate that its self-evaluation is accurate and it is in the best interests of a school to make all relevant evidence available for the inspector. Evidence cannot be considered after inspection which was not presented during the inspection

Feedback at the end of inspectionAt the end of the inspection feedback will be given on the main conclusions of the inspection to the headteacher, curriculum leader for RE and chair of governors. It is also appropriate for other senior leaders and governors to attend this feedback upon request.


Any judgements shared are provisional and subject to monitoring and quality assurance by the diocese. All judgements are therefore indicative rather than final. These initial judgements are confidential and must not be reported or shared until after publication of the report.

Evaluating progress in primary schoolsIn the absence of a reliable benchmark against which to judge progress, inspectors of primary schools are advised to make a close scrutiny of lessons and books in order to arrive at a judgement about the quality of progress within lessons and over time.

Progress in lessonsProgress within lessons will be judged by inspectors in the usual way, taking account of the following indicators:

Behaviour for learning

Engagement of children

Appropriate questioning

Use of assessment for learning

Differentiation

Appropriate level of challenge

Independent learning

These generic criteria will form the basis of the Diocesan inspector’s judgement of progress within RE lessons.

Progress over timeIn order to make a robust judgement of progress over time, during inspection:

inspectors will carry out work scrutiny of books in early years, year 1, year 3 and year 5. The focus will be differentiation, quantity of work, standard of marking, standards of work.

inspectors will carry out focused scrutiny of a book from each of years 2, year 4, and year 6. The focus will be progress over time. An example of this could be:

the school annotates the year 2, 4 and 6 books (with post-it notes) highlighting the progress made by the pupil across an academic year.

the year 2, 4 and 6 teachers each have a 10 minute progress meeting with the inspector to talk through the evidence.

for new teachers, and perhaps in all cases, it would be helpful if the RE coordinator was also able to attend this progress meeting.

in the case of mixed age classes, the books from pupils who are in years 2, 4 and 6 will be the focus of this closer scrutiny.

in schools which have more than one form of entry, a year 2, 4 and 6 sample will be taken from each class in these year groups, not just from each year group.

it is expected that for an inspection which occurs in the autumn term that books from the previous academic year will be kept by the school to provide the inspector with evidence of progress over time.


The inspectors will use lesson observations, attainment data, and child discussion to make a judgement of progress of different groups e.g. SEN, pupil premium.


Part Four: Post-inspection

Receiving the reportA version of the report called the pre-publication draft (PPD) will be sent to the school within fifteen working days following the end of the Diocesan Inspection.

At this point the school checks for factual inaccuracies. If any are found the Diocese is to be informed without delay.

The final report will be published within twenty working days of the end of the inspection and sent to the school for distribution.

Post inspection surveyA post-inspection survey will be sent with the final report. See Appendix 5: The post-inspectionsurvey. This should be completed and returned to the diocese within ten working days of the end of the inspection.

ComplaintsYou can complain about a Diocesan Inspection report if think there was a problem with:

the inspection process.

how the inspection was conducted - for example the behaviour of an inspector.

the outcome of the inspection, including the report.

Before you complainYou should raise any concerns during the inspection by speaking to the lead inspector.

How to complainInformation about how to complain is available from the Diocesan Department for Education.You can complain at any time up to five working days:

after the concern was raised.

after the report has been published.

What happens nextAn investigating officer will contact you to discuss the complaint. They’ll investigate using:

evidence from the report.

feedback from the team that carried out your inspection.

You will receive a written response, usually within 30 working days of the Diocese receiving your complaint.


Acting on the reportOnce a report has been received, the school must publish the report on its website and share its findings with parents. This can be done by referring parents to the website but hard copies should be made available on request.

The governors will then need to ensure that the findings of the report are acted upon in a timely manner.

Schools receiving ‘Requires Improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ gradeSchools which are judged to be less than good will be supported by the diocesan education advisers to respond to the report and to bring about the necessary improvements through the implementation of a jointly agreed action plan.



SECTION TWO: APPENDICES


Appendix 1: Pre-inspection timeline


10 DAYS PRE-INSPECTIONDDfE contact the inspector and moderator to inform them of the school to be

inspected.

TWO DAYS PRE-INSPECTIONThe headteacher is notified of the inspection by the DDfE. The pre-inspection

paperwork is sent to the school to be completed.The inspector contacts the school and documentation is requested.

The headteacher informs the chair of governors, the school staff and parents of the arrangements for the inspection. The inspection documentation is sent to the

inspector.

Appendix 2: Post-inspection timeline



DAYS 1 - 5 POST-INSPECTIONThe lead inspector writes and then sends the draft inspection report to the

moderator.

DAYS 6 - 10 POST-INSPECTIONThe moderator checks the draft inspection report. Any necessary amendments are

made in consultation with lead inspector. The moderator's draft report is sent to the DDfE.

DAYS 11 - 15 POST-INSPECTIONThe moderator's draft report is quality assured by the DDfE. Once all amendments

have been approved, the pre-publication draft inspection report is sent to the school.

DAYS 16-18 POST-INSPECTIONThe school checks the pre-publication draft report for factual errors and any

amendment requests are returned to the diocese.

DAYS 19-20 POST-INSPECTIONAfter any necessary errors have been corrected the final report is published and sent to the headteacher, the chair of governors, the LA, the bishop and the inspector(s).

The DDfE publishes the report.

DAYS 21- 25 POST-INSPECTION The school must ensure that parents of all registered pupils receive a copy of the

report within five working days of publication.

ONE MONTH FROM PUBLICATIONThe report is made available on the diocesan website by the DDfE.

Appendix 3: Diocesan self-evaluation form

School information

School:

Address:

Telephone Number:

Email address:

School URN:

Headteacher:

Chair of Governors:

RE Coordinator/Subject Leader

School Chaplain

Parishes served by the school:


Contextual Information about this school:


Pupil Catchment

Number of pupils on roll:

Planned Admission Number of Pupils:

Percentage of pupils baptised RC:

Percentage of pupils from other Christian denominations:

Percentage of pupils from other world faiths:

Percentage of pupils with no religious affiliation:

Percentage of pupils from ethnic groups:

Percentage of pupils with special needs:

StaffingFull-time teachers:

Part-time teachers:

Percentage of Catholic teachers:

Percentage of teachers with CCRS:

RE Department Staffing (For Secondary schools)Number of full-time RE teachers:

Number of part-time RE teachers:

Percentage of learning time given to Religious EducationFoundation stage

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Year 10

Year 11

Sixth form


Catholic Life

Catholic LifeCL1: The extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic Life of the

school.

CL2: The quality of provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

CL3: How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

CL1The extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic Life of the school.

CL2The quality of provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

CL3How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic Life of the school.


Religious Education

Religious Education

RE1: How well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education.

RE2: The quality of teaching and assessment in Religious Education.

RE3: How well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious Education.

RE1How well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education.

RE2The quality of teaching and assessment in Religious Education.

RE3How well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious Education.


Collective Worship

Collective Worship

CW1: How well pupils respond to and participate in the schools’ Collective Worship.

CW2: The quality of Collective Worship provided by the school.

CW3: How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for Collective Worship.

CW1How well pupils respond to and participate in the schools’ Collective Worship.

CW2The quality of Collective Worship provided by the school.

CW3How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for Collective Worship.


DSEF Summary of Grades

Overall Effectiveness

Catholic Life

The extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic Life of the school.

The quality of provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for the Catholic Life of the school.

Religious Education

How well pupils achieve and enjoy their learning in Religious Education.

The quality of teaching and assessment in Religious Education.

How well leaders and managers promote, monitor and evaluate the provision for Religious Education.

Collective Worship

How well pupils respond to and participate in the schools’ Collective Worship.

The quality of provision for Collective Worship.

How well leaders and managers monitor and evaluate the provision for Collective Worship.


Appendix 4: Documentation required for inspectionPrior to inspection:

The DSEF

School improvement plan

Timetable indicating when Religious Education lessons occur

Staff list with accompanying staffing structure

Plan of the school

The previous Diocesan Inspection/s48 report will be sent by the Diocesan Department for Education to the inspector along with the annual diocesan data return (ADDR), along with an indication of whether the school attended the most recent diocesan moderation meeting.

During the inspection:

If applicable, school brochure/prospectus

Examples of any documents referred to in the DSEF

Policy statements for worship/any aspect relevant to school’s Catholic character

Documents relating to RE departmental evaluation and development plans

Pupil/student tracking data, including sixth form

Samples of students’ work from each year group, categorised into above average, average, below average. Samples should cover students of each teacher of Religious Education and that the sample is equally divided between gender. The work sample should be labelled by the school so that it can easily be seen which sample belongs to which teacher and which books represent which ability range within the sample

The schemes of work/curriculum plans

Monitoring and tracking records for teaching and learning

Lesson observation records

Responses to questionnaires from parents, pupils and staff.


Appendix 5: The post-inspection surveyIn answer to each of the following question please indicate whether you

1. strongly agree

2. agree

3. disagree

4. strongly disagree

5. don't know

Overall, I was satisfied with the administration provided by the Diocesan Department for Education.

The demands placed on me by the inspection were reasonable.

The inspection team challenged constructively the judgements and evidence we provided in our self-evaluation summary.The lead inspector provided appropriate opportunities for the headteacher/senior staff to engage productively with the inspection team.

Inspection judgements about the school are fair and accurate.

The oral feedback and the written report were consistent.

Overall, I am satisfied with the clarity of the inspection report.

Overall, I am satisfied with the way the inspection was carried out.


Appendix 6: Timetable for Inspection

Primary

DAY ONE

08.15 Arrival/meeting with headteacher

08.45 Meet staff

09.10 - 09.30 Attend worship

09.30 - 10.30 Work scrutiny

10.30 - 10.45 BREAKBrief headteacher

10.45 - 12.00Lesson observationsConversations with pupilsConversations with teachers

12.00 LUNCH BREAKBrief headteacher

13.00 - 13.30 Interview with headteacher – SEF

13.30 - 15.30

Interviews with: RE coordinator chair of governors parish clergy staff parents pupil groups

15.30 Brief headteacher – feedback on the day’s findings

DAY TWO

08.15 Brief headteacher – feedback /judgements

09.00 Worship

09.30 Further checks/unfinished business/meetings

11.30 Feedback to headteacher, chair of governors, RE coordinator, parish priest


Secondary

DAY ONE

8.00 Arrival and inspectors’ meeting

8.15 Brief headteacher

Lead Inspector Team Inspector

8.45-9.00 Registration and Collective Worship Scrutinise students’ work and RE documentation

9.00-10.00 Scrutiny of documentation Lesson observations

10.00-10.30 Meeting:Lesson observations

10.30-11.00 Meeting:

11.20-11.50 Meeting: Lesson observations

11.50-12.20 Meeting: Meeting:

12.20-13.15 LUNCH

13.15-13.45 Lesson observations Meeting:

13.45-14.15 Lesson observations Meeting:

14.15-15.35 Brief headteacher and other senior leaders if required

15.35-16.05 Inspectors’ meeting

16.05-16.30 Brief headteacher

DAY TWO

8.00 Arrival and inspectors’ meeting

8.30-8.40 Meeting with headteacher to clarify arrangements

Lead Inspector Team Inspector

8.45-9.00 Registration and Collective Worship



10.00-10.30Lesson observations

Meeting:

10.30-11.00 Meeting:

11.20-11.50


11.50-12.20

12.20-13.15 LUNCH

13.15-15.00 Inspectors’ meeting

15.15 Feedback to headteacher, chair of governors, head of RE department, members of leadership team


Appendix 7: The Code of Canon Law

Book III The Teaching Office of the ChurchChapter 1 Schools

Can.803 81 A Catholic school is understood to be one which is under the control of a competent ecclesiastical authority or of a public ecclesiastical juridic person, or one which in a written document is acknowledged as catholic by the ecclesiastical authority.

82 Formation and education in a catholic school must be based on the principles of catholic doctrine, and the teachers must be outstanding in true doctrine and uprightness of life.

83 No school, even if it is in fact catholic, may bear the title “catholic school” except by the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority.

Can.804 81 The formation and education in the catholic religion provided in any school, and through various means of social communication, is subject to the authority of the Church. It is for the Episcopal Conference to issue general norms concerning this field of activity and for the diocesan Bishop to regulate and watch over it.

82 The local Ordinary is to be careful that those who are appointed as teachers of religion in schools, even non-Catholic ones, are outstanding in true doctrine, in the witness of their Christian life, and in their teaching ability.

Can.805 In his own diocese, the local Ordinary has the right to appoint or to approve teachers of religion and, if religious or moral considerations require it, the right to remove them or to demand that they be removed.

Can.806 81 The diocesan Bishop has the right to watch over and inspect the catholic schools situated in his territory, even those established or directed by members of religious institutes. He has also the right to issue directives concerning the general regulation of catholic schools; these directives apply also to schools constructed by members of a religious institute, although they retain their autonomy in the internal management of their schools.

82 Those who are in charge of catholic schools are to ensure, under the supervision of the local Ordinary, that the formation given in them is, in its academic standards, at least as outstanding as that in other schools in the area.


Appendix 8: Education Act 2005

Chapter 18PART 1, SCHOOL INSPECTIONS AND OTHER INSPECTIONS BY SCHOOL INSPECTORS

Chapter 6Inspection of religious education

47. Meaning of “denominational education”In this Part “denominational education”, in relation to a school, means religious education which: (a) is required by section 80(1)(a) or 101(a) of the Education Act 2002 (c.32) to be

included in the school’s basic curriculum, but(b) is not required by any enactment to be given in accordance with an agreed syllabus.

48. Inspection of religious education: England(1) It is the duty of the governing body of any voluntary or foundation school in

England which has been designated under section 69(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 198 by the Secretary of State as having a religious character to secure that: (a) any denominational education given to pupils; and(b) the content of the school’s collective worship.are inspected under this section.

(2) An inspection under this section is to be conducted by a person chosen:(a) in the case of a voluntary controlled school, by the foundation governors after

consultation with any person prescribed for the purposes of this subsection in relation to the religion or religious denomination that is specified in relation to the school under section 69(4) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, and

(b) in any other case, by the governing body after consultation with any person so prescribed.

(3) Inspections under this section must be carried out at such intervals as may be prescribe.[These must be completed for all schools by 1 August 2009 and, following that inspection, the school should be inspected within three school years from the end of that school year in which the last such inspection took place.]

(4) It is the general duty of a person conducting an inspection under this section:

(a) to report on the quality of the denominational education provided by the school for any pupils to whom denominational education is given by the school; and

(b) to report on the content of the school’s collective worship.and any such person may report on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school.

(5) A person conducting an inspection under this section may do so with the assistance of such other persons chosen by him as are in his opinion fit and proper persons for carrying out the inspection.

(6) In this section and section 49: “Collective worship” means collective worship required by section 70 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c.31).“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State.


48. Procedure for inspections under Section 48(1) An inspection under section 48 must be carried out within such period as may be

prescribed(2) When the inspection has been completed, the person conducting the inspection

must, before the end of the period prescribed for the purposes of this subsection, prepare in writing a report of the inspection [15 working days].

(3) The person conducting the inspection must, without delay, send the report to the governing body of the school concerned.

(4) The governing body must:(a) make any such report available for inspection by members of the public, at

such times and at such a place as may be reasonable;(b) take such steps as are reasonably practicable to secure that every parent of a

registered pupils at the school:(i) for whom the school provides denominational education; or(ii) who takes part in acts of collective worship the content of which

falls to be inspected under section 48, as the case may be, receives a copy of the report as soon as is reasonably practicable. [within 5 working days of the receipt of the report]; and

(c) provide such a copy of the report, free of charge or in prescribed cases on payment of such a fee as they think fit (not exceeding the cost of supply) to any other person who asks for one


Appendix 9: Extract from the Curriculum Directory1

The Religious EducatorThe Church recognises the fundamental contribution of those charged with the planning and delivery of Religious Education. In what may be called the ‘hidden curriculum’, the witness, integrity and sincerity of the teacher or staff member will influence the communication of Christian faith, especially as knowledge to be believed and lived. As Pope Benedict XVI has said:

As you know, the task of a teacher is not simply to impart information or to provide training in skills intended to deliver some economic benefit to society; education is not and must never be considered as purely utilitarian. It is about forming the human person, equipping him or her to live life to the full – in short it is about imparting wisdom. And true wisdom is inseparable from knowledge of the Creator, for ‘both we and our words are in his hand, as are all understanding and skill in crafts’ (Wis7:16).

Developments in the provision of tertiary education and a greater variety of routes into the teaching profession have led to changes in the formation and preparation of teachers. Indeed, many of our teachers may not have been trained in the Catholic sector and may come from a variety of academic backgrounds. The perennial challenge for the Catholic community is to identify the best ways in which to develop the character and knowledge of Catholic teachers. The Catholic Certificate of Religious Studies remains a significant element in the formation of our teachers and we hope that many more will undertake this and other courses. This concern with formation is not limited to teachers of Religious Education, but extends to all Catholic teachers and indeed to Senior Leaders and Governors with whom responsibility for Religious Education rests. Those responsible for Religious Education in our schools should:

be prepared to give living witness to what they teach; recognise that they share in the teaching office of the Church exercised in the person of the

local bishop and enshrined in the trust deed of the school; fulfil their professional responsibilities with regard to all that develops and enhances the life

of the Catholic school; plan and teach schemes of work that are engaging and accessible so that all pupils may

progress appropriately in their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith; have high expectations of all their pupils; ensure that 10% of the curriculum to age 16 and 5% of the curriculum beyond the age of 16

is devoted to Religious Education; ensure that Religious Education contributes positively to the broad and balanced curriculum

of a Catholic school through cooperation and dialogue with other subjects; take care continually to deepen their own knowledge and understanding of the Catholic

faith; take seriously the duty of every Catholic to form his or her conscience; be given opportunities for their own spiritual and professional development as Catholic

educators.

The aims of Religious Education1 Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales Department of Catholic Education and Formation, Religios Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic schools and colleges in England and Wales, published 2012


1. To present engagingly a comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;

2. To enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;

3. To present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society;

4. To raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them;

5. To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life;

6. To stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;

7. To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum;

8. To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture.

The outcome of excellent Religious Education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.

MethodologyLike other disciplines, Religious Education makes use of a repertoire of appropriate teaching methods, according to the age and ability of pupils. Religious educators must be able to adapt a variety of methods to their task. The introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, quoting the earlier Roman Catechism of 1566, reminds teachers that they must not imagine a single kind of person has been entrusted to them, nor that it is appropriate to teach everyone through one and the same method. Rather they ‘must suit their words to the maturity and understanding of their hearers’. It belongs to the competence of education professionals to discover, develop and share appropriate methods.

Religious Education learns from evangelisation and catechesis that learning and growth involve active participation and response. For this reason, personal experience plays a significant part in the exploration, discovery and assimilation of the saving truth of God’s revelation. Teaching in Religious Education:

‘Should help people to be attentive to the meaning of their experiences, illumined by the light of the Gospel, so that they may respond to God more fully. Experience can also make the Christian message more intelligible. It ‘serves in the examination and acceptance of the truths which are contained in the deposit of Revelation’.

At the same time, teaching in Religious Education will introduce those formulas which help develop pupils’ understanding of Catholic belief. The tradition of the Church ‘in maintaining, practising and professing the faith that has been handed on’ values formulas which provide a common language that all may use, and form that ‘memory’ of the Church which vividly maintains the presence of the Lord among us.Such formulas include texts from the Bible, the liturgy, the teaching documents of the Church, the Creeds, The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the traditional prayers and devotions of Christian faith (e.g. Our Father, Angelus, Stations of the Cross). A basic and convenient collection of such formulas may be found in the widely available Simple Prayer Book20 and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They should be presented after sufficient time has been given to


exploration and explanation, and those will be chosen which, ‘while expressing faithfully the truth of the Faith’ are suited to ‘the capacity of the listeners’.

Recent developments in the field of special education have enabled pupils with disabilities to gain greater access to an equality of provision in Religious Education. These include advances in methodologies and interventions, disability and equality legislation, new technologies and an evolving theology of disability. Efforts to promote authentic belonging and participation for all reflect the example of Jesus Christ at the heart of the Gospels. St. Paul reminds us that ‘the members of the body that seem to be the weaker are indispensable.’23 It is now evident that the multi-sensory and symbolic approaches and resources developed to provide enjoyable and appropriate Religious Education for children with a range of different needs contribute to enriched Religious Education opportunities for all.

Children of all abilities benefit from ways of learning and knowing which are not necessarily reliant on cognitive ability, in particular the learning of the heart. To continue the progress made towards an equity of provision in Religious Education for all children and to ensure that the particular needs of children and young people with learning difficulties and disabilities are taken into account, due attention needs to be given at the appropriate levels of responsibility to ensure that:

the need for ‘adaptation’ is removed by ensuring that from the outset programmes and curriculum planning encompass the needs of all children taking account of a range of different needs, abilities and learning styles;

professional development is provided at every level in relation to disability awareness, the requirements of legislation, the call of the Gospel and the implications of these on the development of accessible Religious Education programmes;

advisors and inspectors are familiarised with the different ways of teaching, assessing and gathering evidence for pupils working within the P scales;

all schools provide access to multi-sensory experiences and symbol-supported text resources;

a variety of age appropriate and enriching Religious Education experiences is provided for pupils who may not necessarily progress through the P scales (e.g. those with degenerative or life-limiting conditions);

links are formed between Catholic special and mainstream schools so that the accessibility of the Religious Education curriculum for pupils with special needs in the latter may be enhanced;

avenues of accreditation for pupils working at different levels are explored.

SummaryThe methods employed in Religious Education are always aimed at opening up for the pupil the mystery of God’s saving action in Jesus Christ. This mystery is both many-sided and entirely one, for it is in essence the person of Christ ‘the same yesterday, today and for ever’. The mystery can be imagined as a well-cut and highly polished gem, each facet reflecting its brilliance, yet best appreciated as a single whole. It is this image that is used in this Curriculum Directory to hold together the various aspects of Catholic faith that make up the content of Religious Education.

Attainment LevelsThe Bishops’ Conference publication Levels of Attainment in Religious Education in Catholic Schools and Colleges enables religious educators to provide increasingly challenging Religious Education to match each pupil’s stage of development and ability. It furthermore assists in charting each pupil’s


rate of progress in Religious Education over time, so that provision and teaching may be adjusted to facilitate the blossoming of higher order skills and deeper levels of knowledge and understanding.

In the descriptions of the levels of attainment under both Attainment Targets (Learning about Religion and Learning from Religion), the verbs used (‘driver words’) gradually chart a greater measure of engagement and active learning as the pupil progresses to higher levels of attainment. This helps teacher and pupil to talk constructively about what is needed to aid progress and secure an attainment level appropriate to the latter’s growing ability. The use of Levels of Attainment enables the progress and achievement of each and every pupil to be recognised and celebrated.

Levels of Attainment also help writers of new resources to assess the appropriateness of their materials. In addition, the levels assist inspectors of Religious Education in their judgements about the quality of provision and attainment in Catholic schools.

P ScalesThe P scales are differentiated performance criteria that provide a chart of progression in Religious Education for pupils with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities whose attainment level is below Level One. Based on the National P scales they have been customised for use in Catholic schools.

When planning Religious Education lessons and activities, attention should be given to providing: a range of motivating and enjoyable experiences to engage all children; scope and provision to enable children to move through and demonstrate success at the

different P scales; strategies, approaches and resources to enable children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions

to participate.
