A fundamental shift from compliance to collaboration
Invitation to Inspection
Invitation to Inspection in Primary Schools proposes a fundamental shift from high-stakes, compliance-driven inspections to a collaborative, school-initiated model that reflects the true purposes of primary education. It argues that inspections should celebrate success, support professional dialogue, recognise the complexity of primary teaching, and focus on children’s holistic development across the full curriculum. The paper calls for open-ended enquiry, richer assessment practices, and context-sensitive judgement, supported by a revitalised advisory network. By establishing relationships based on trust, expertise, and shared accountability, inspections can become constructive, empowering experiences that promote sustained school improvement and wellbeing for pupils, teachers, and leaders.
Introduction
Most primary schools continually seek improvement, yet the current inspection process often fosters anxiety rather than support and appropriate challenge.
The aim of this paper is to explore and propose the purposes of primary education and offer an innovative approach that reframes inspections as constructive and collaborative experiences for both schools and inspectors.
Inspections should be viewed as opportunities to celebrate successes, identify areas for growth, and reinforce a shared commitment to educational excellence. Where necessary, inspection should also identify failure.
A hallmark of any worthwhile institution, organisation or business is its ability to self evaluate and hold itself accountable. Primary schools have already embraced this through the use of the annual School Evaluation Form (SEF) for many years, and will help both schools and inspection teams in a collaborative endeavour.
This shared quest for improvement should drive the inspection agenda within every school.