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• Understanding a school inspection report
• Types of school Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting schools
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  • Inspecting independent schools
  • Inspecting boarding and residential special schools
    • Before a boarding or residential special school inspection
    • During a boarding or residential special school inspection
    • After a boarding or residential special school inspection
    • Main inspection documents for inspectors
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Main inspection documents for inspectors

The documents below are the forms and guidance used by inspectors when carrying out inspections of welfare provision in boarding and residential special schools. The documents for the inspection of education provision in boarding and residential special schools can be found on the main inspections documents for inspectors pages for maintained schools and independent schools.

The main inspection documents are available by clicking the appropriate links below to be taken to a page where you will be able to download the document.

For information on what happens before, during and after an inspection, please go to the Inspecting boarding and residential special schools page.

Inspecting welfare provision in boarding and residential special schools – welfare-only and integrated inspections

• The framework for inspecting boarding and residential provision in schools
• Conducting inspections of boarding and residential provision in schools
• Evaluation schedule for the inspection of boarding and residential provision in schools

Forms for inspectors

• Boarding school national minimum standards check sheet and evidence form 
• Boarding schools national minimum standards - appendix two records
• Residential special school national minimum standards check sheet and evidence form
• Residential special schools national minimum standards - appendix two records
• Evidence form for use on inspections of boarding and residential special schools 
• The indicative timetable
• Form A - confirmation that an independent boarding or residential special school is causing concern following a welfare only inspection

Additional inspections of boarding and residential special schools – welfare-only and integrated inspections

Guidance for inspectors

• Conducting additional inspections of independent schools 

Forms for inspectors

Evaluating schools' action plans:

• Advice note for evaluating a school's action plan - welfare only (independent schools)

Emergency inspections:

• Advice note for an emergency inspection - welfare only (independent schools) 

Progress monitoring inspections:

• Progress monitoring record of inspection evidence and judgements – welfare only

Material change inspection:

• National minimum standards check sheet for a material change inspection of an independent school seeking to open or change existing boarding provision – welfare only
• National minimum standards check sheet for a material change inspection of an independent special school seeking to open or change existing residential provision – welfare only 
• Advice note for a material change inspection of an independent school seeking to open or change existing boarding or residential provision – welfare only

Pre-registration inspection for boarding and residential special schools:

• Pre-registration regulatory check sheet for an independent boarding school
• Pre-registration regulatory check sheet for an independent residential special school
• Advice note for a pre-registration inspection of a boarding or residential special school