The Role of Inspectorates Across Europe

SICI has published a major international survey of how inspectorates and other agencies work to support school improvement after the inspection has finished. This is a significant contribution to the debate about how inspectorates can have greater impact.

A new report on school inspection across Europe shows that it is now becoming common for inspectorates to both hold schools to account through inspection and also to take a role in their subsequent improvement.
The President of SICI, Wulf Homeier, who is Head of the Inspectorate in Lower Saxony, said:
European inspectorates lead the world in terms of their engagement with schools to promote improvement. However it is clear from our report that the role of the inspectorate in holding schools to account and promoting their improvement is constantly evolving. The boundary between ‘inspecting’ and ‘advising’ or ‘supporting’ is increasingly blurred. I am very pleased with the way that European inspectorates are now able to work together to develop best practice, and to engage with leading academics as part of this drive for greater impact.