SIAMS inspections: what Church schools need to know (England)

This page is about schools in England. It does not cover Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The current SIAMS framework and handbook

SIAMS stands for Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools. It evaluates how a school's Christian vision shapes its work and enables pupils and adults to flourish (Framework, ‘SIAMS: An Overview’, paragraphs 1–3).

The National Society for Education's current SIAMS Framework is titled September 2024 (updated September 2026). Its SIAMS Information for Schools, dated September 2026, is the practical handbook for the inspection process. This guide uses those editions: Framework page references are to the PDF pages; handbook references are to its numbered sections. The current documents use Inspection Questions and judgements rather than the older graded Evaluation Schedule (handbook, section 2.1).

Who is inspected, and what is the legal basis?

SIAMS is the National Society's inspection system for Church of England and Methodist schools. It considers religious education (RE), collective worship and pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, within the school's Christian vision (Framework, ‘SIAMS: An Overview’, paragraphs 1–4).

For maintained voluntary and foundation schools in England designated as having a religious character, the governing body must secure inspection of denominational education and the content of collective worship under Education Act 2005, section 48(1). Section 48(2) sets out who chooses the inspector and the consultation requirement: foundation governors do so for voluntary controlled schools, and the governing body does so in other cases. Section 48(4) requires reporting on denominational education and collective worship and permits reporting on pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Academies' arrangements depend on their funding agreements. Ofsted's operating guide distinguishes academies that were previously voluntary aided or foundation schools from those previously voluntary controlled (‘Specific contexts to consider: The school has a religious character’).

Catholic schools have a separate denominational inspection framework through the Catholic Schools Inspectorate.

How often do SIAMS inspections happen?

The handbook says schools would ordinarily expect inspection in the fifth year after the previous inspection. Its post-Covid scheduling guidance describes an eight-year interval before a return to a five-year cycle (sections 1.1–1.5). For maintained schools, the statutory deadline is measured from the end of the school year in which the previous inspection took place: normally five school years, extended to eight school years where the previous inspection took place between 1 August 2014 and 31 July 2021. This comes from regulation 10 of the Education (School Inspection) (England) Regulations 2005, as amended by regulation 4 of SI 2009/1564 and regulation 5 of SI 2021/845. Academy arrangements depend on their funding agreements. Section 48(3) itself does not specify the interval.

The National Society's inspections page publishes the expected annual list. A place on that list does not guarantee inspection, and its ordering does not indicate the term of inspection (handbook, sections 1.6–1.8).

Schools receive five working days' notice. The National SIAMS Team notifies the school of the date and inspector, followed by the inspector's own call later that day (handbook, sections 4.1.1–4.1.3).

The Inspection Questions

The Framework organises inspection around the following questions. These are summaries; the full questions and supporting prompts are on PDF pages 9–12.

• IQ1 — Christian vision: how the school's theologically rooted vision enables pupils and adults to flourish.
• IQ2 — Curriculum: how the curriculum reflects that vision, including spiritual development and the experience of vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils.
• IQ3 — Collective worship: how daily worship enables spiritual flourishing, including its inclusive, invitational and inspirational character.
• IQ4 — Treatment of pupils and adults: how the vision shapes inclusion, dignity, wellbeing and support at difficult times.
• IQ5 — Justice and responsibility: how the vision shapes relationships, ethical choices, advocacy and partnerships.
• IQ6 — RE curriculum: its effectiveness with reference to the Church of England's Statement of Entitlement for RE, including curriculum design, resources and staff expertise.
• IQ7 — Quality of RE: teaching, achievement and assessment where denominational RE is required.

IQ7 applies only to maintained voluntary aided schools and academies whose founding documents indicate that denominational RE must be taught. Maintained voluntary controlled schools and the vast majority of academies formerly voluntary controlled are not inspected against IQ7 (Framework, PDF page 12). IQ6 remains part of the framework for those schools.

For academies, inspectors also explore the trust's contribution. Leaders should be able to explain how trust vision, governance and practice support the school's Christian foundation (Framework, PDF pages 4 and 6–11).

What do inspectors do?

Inspectors discuss the school with leaders, staff, pupils, parents, diocesan or Methodist representatives and the local church community. They scrutinise evidence such as self-evaluation, policies, plans and pupils' RE work, and observe ordinary school life and relationships (Framework, ‘The What, Why, and How of SIAMS’, section 3).

The handbook's timetable guidance includes collective worship, a learning walk, pupil discussions, RE work scrutiny and meetings with governors, leaders, staff and parents. It says schools are not expected to change normal timetable arrangements. The timetable is agreed around the evidence needed, and the headteacher is not expected at every meeting (handbook, Appendices 1–2).

The inspector sends a pre-inspection plan (PIP) 48 hours before inspection. This identifies the evidence they need to explore. A call the day before inspection clarifies the plan and finalises the timetable (handbook, sections 4.2.1–4.2.4).

SIAMS outcomes: J1 and J2

The Framework gives the following wording on PDF page 13, ‘Inspection Outcomes’:

• J1: “The inspection findings indicate that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.”
• J2: “The inspection findings indicate that the school has strengths, but that there are also issues that leaders need to address as a matter of priority.”

For J2, the report includes the relevant statements from that page about the Inspection Questions that could not be answered affirmatively. The findings identify what leaders need to address.

End-of-inspection feedback includes provisional judgements, notable strengths and development points. These can change during quality assurance. The outcome remains confidential to the school team and those at final feedback until the final report is received (handbook, sections 4.3.3–4.3.5). The school should respond to the draft report's factual accuracy check within two working days of receipt. If the inspection is already subject to a complaint, or the school decides at that point to raise one, it should follow the SIAMS complaints policy and not accept the draft report. Once finalised, the report should be published on the school's website (sections 4.4.2–4.4.4).

How SIAMS relates to Ofsted

SIAMS and Ofsted have separate inspection responsibilities. The current Ofsted school inspection operating guide, for use from September 2026, explains the boundary in ‘Specific contexts to consider: The school has a religious character’:

• Ofsted must not inspect denominational RE or collective worship in maintained voluntary aided or foundation schools with a religious character, or academies formerly in those categories.
• It may inspect RE in maintained voluntary controlled schools and academies formerly voluntary controlled, but not collective worship.
• Inspectors can still gather evidence from RE lessons and assemblies for personal development and wellbeing, or attendance and behaviour.
• Ofsted checks the previous section 48 inspection date and when the next is due, and includes these in the report card. Where a school uses a prescribed section 48 inspectorate, that inspectorate decides the timings and Ofsted says inspectors do not need to report on the arrangements. Ofsted reads issues raised in the latest section 48 report but does not use that inspection's evidence in its own inspection.

Read the Ofsted inspections guide for the wider inspection framework.

How schools prepare

Use the handbook's preparation steps to explain the impact of the school's everyday work.

1. Evaluate impact. Self-evaluation should help the school understand what its vision, policies and practice achieve. It is not a statutory element of SIAMS. Share what is already available; lengthy documents can be focused or abridged, but a separate summary is not expected (sections 3.1–3.4).
2. Prepare for the initial conversation. Be ready to explain the Christian vision and its theological roots, leadership and governance, partnerships, RE, collective worship, spirituality and the school's context (section 4.1.3).
3. Send the initial evidence. The inspector asks for relevant self-evaluation and other initial evidence, including safeguarding procedures, on the notification day. Inspectors will not ask schools to send information on non-working days (section 4.1.4).
4. Agree the timetable. Use the inspector's plan and the handbook's suggested activities to arrange access to the people and evidence needed. Allow for changes as the inspector reviews evidence (sections 4.1.5 and 4.2.1–4.2.4; Appendices 1–2).
5. Arrange practical access. Provide a private workspace and share safeguarding protocols. Work with the inspector to keep evidence manageable and minimise disruption, stress and bureaucracy (sections 4.3.2, 5.3–5.4 and 6.4.1–6.4.3).
6. Use diocesan or Methodist support. The diocesan education team or Methodist Academies and Schools Trust provides SIAMS training for schools and, where appropriate, trusts (section 2.3).

For related reading, see collective worship when few families are churchgoers. For wider leadership responsibilities, use the headteacher and deputy headteacher role pages, and the headteacher interview guide.