SIAMS Inspections

The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) is the Church of England and Methodist Church’s outworking of the requirements of section 48 of the Education Act 2005. It is a key element of the life of all Church of England and Methodist schools in England. 

Following the resumption of school inspections in September 2021, SIAMS inspections will take place within eight years of the date of the previous inspection. After this initial cycle, inspections will take place approximately every five years.

SIAMS inspection explores the question, “How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?”

Please explore the information on these pages and contact us on [email protected]d.org if you have any questions about the process. 

If you have questions about how to access training and advice for your school, please contact your diocesan education team. 

Sincerely, 

Dr Margaret James

National Director of SIAMS

All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the Church of England Education Office's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The SIAMS Evaluation Schedule sets out the expectations for the conduct of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican, Methodist and ecumenical Schools under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005.

SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.

The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: “How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?”

This is explored through seven strands:

1. Vision and Leadership
2. Wisdom, Knowledge, and Skills
3. Character Development: Hope, Aspiration, and Courageous Advocacy
4. Community and Living Well Together
5. Dignity and Respect
6. Impact of Collective Worship
7. Effectiveness of Religious Education.

One overall grade is awarded reflecting the contribution of these strands to the flourishing of pupils and adults in a Church school. In addition a standalone grade is awarded in all schools for collective worship and in voluntary aided (VA) schools and former VA schools for religious education (RE). This grade is based on teaching and learning alone.

• List of schools likely to be inspected in 2022-2023

• List of schools likely to be inspected 2023-24

• Follow this link to find a SIAMS report for a particular church school

SIAMS Documents are included below for reference by schools, dioceses, and inspectors.

• SIAMS Methodist Principles of Education (403.93 KB)
   
• SIAMS Appeals and Complaints Policy for Schools (1.15 MB)

SIAMS Documents are included below for reference by schools, dioceses, and inspectors for use from September 2023:

• SIAMS 2023 National update
• SIAMS Framework September 2023
• SIAMS 2023 Transitional Guidance for Schools
• SIAMS 2023 Ongoing Self Evaluation Template
• SIAMS 2023 Summary Self Evaluation Template

Just published! 'A Fresh Look at Church School Inspection: Examining the 2023 SIAMS Framework’  by Margaret James, National director of SIAMS. To purchase this book please go to Education - Grove Books

Listen to the recent interview with Margaret James, National Director of SIAMS:
Called, Connected, Committed: Flourishing for All: SIAMS - Understanding the changes for September 2023
Listen to our recent podcast

Watch the national update on the 2023 new SIAMS Framework:
SIAMS 2023 Webinar - 3 November 2022
Watch the webinar

• SIAMS 2023 Joint Schools Inspection Framework

The next SIAMS Inspector training will commence in September 2023.

Applications have now closed.

For further information please contact [email protected]

The contact details for the National SIAMS Team are below. 

Please note, we use two generic email accounts: 

• SIAMS – [email protected] – for general SIAMS enquiries, including inspections, training, SIAMS Portal queries, and queries regarding documents and resources.  

• SIAMS Admin – [email protected] – for any specific administrative functions (e.g. DBS Right to Work Checks, IR35 checks, employment paperwork, payment of invoices). For inspector use only.   

	Dr Margaret James National Director of SIAMS Phone: 020 7898 1187 Mobile: 07909 212568 Email:  [email protected]
	David Tait Deputy Director of SIAMS Phone: 020 7898 1008 Mobile: 07951 214853 Email:  [email protected]
	Jan Chandler SIAMS Management and Training Officer  Phone: 020 7898 1495 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]  For enquiries relating to: Training Inspections (notifications) SIAMS Documents and Resources
	Anna Blacknell SIAMS Systems and Data Officer Phone: 020 7898 1188 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]  For enquiries relating to: Inspection (scheduling) Data management Finance SIAMS Portal