External inspections of MOD Schools and Settings

To undertake external inspections of Defence Children Services (DCS) schools and settings in 10 countries overseas.

Organisations accredited by DfE must comply with a common set of standards established by DfE, which are used to inspect independent schools in England aligned to suit schools in overseas contexts.

n essential element of the inspection is to be a consideration of the extent to which the British character of the school is evident in its ethos, curriculum, teaching, care for pupils and pupils’ achievements. Membership of the BSO Scheme ensures that DCS schools provide their pupils with the skills and qualifications they need to enter and re-enter the British education system. The scheme also helps to inform parents about how the standards in DCS schools measure up against the standards that apply to independent schools in England and provides parents and others with assurance that a school has been robustly inspected. DfE host the BSO inspection reports on their website to allow unrestricted public access for parents and other key stakeholders.

Inspections of each school and setting are to be scheduled for every three years and must be conducted during term-time and within school or setting hours. The inspections must determine whether each school or setting’s performance meets all the standards, and the inspection report must cover:

The extent to which the standards are met;

The quality of education or care being provided;

The distinctiveness of each school;

Whether there is evidence that local requirements are being met;

Whether the school is providing a British education that has similar characteristics to an education in an independent school in England in terms of its ethos, curriculum, teaching, care for pupils and pupils’ achievements;

Whether the school is providing their pupils with the skills and qualifications they need to enter and re-enter the British education system. Additional information: The provider will inspect each of the DCS schools and settings at least once over a three-year cycle, in accordance with the Standards issued by the DfE on 23 November 2016, for overseas schools covered under the BSO Scheme. The primary output of these inspections will be a report that assesses the performance of the school or setting in terms of the delivery of education, safeguarding and care of