Where to Find Reports
Report Types
BSO Inspection Reports
BSO reports are the most structured and the easiest to read. They follow a consistent format:
- School context - size, location, student body, governance
- Quality of education - curriculum, teaching, assessment, outcomes
- Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development - pastoral care, values, behaviour
- Welfare, health and safety - safeguarding, medical, child protection
- Leadership and management - governance, strategic direction, staff development
- Summary of judgements - headline grades for each area
Each section is graded on a four-point scale: Outstanding, Good, Satisfactory, Inadequate. A school rated "Good" across the board is a strong school. "Outstanding" in any area is notable. "Satisfactory" means acceptable but with room for improvement. "Inadequate" is rare and serious.
CIS Evaluation Reports
CIS reports are more narrative and less prescriptive. They assess the school against CIS standards - which cover governance, curriculum, teaching, student support, and school culture - but do not assign simple grades. The report includes "commendations" (strengths) and "recommendations" (areas for development). The recommendations are the part to read carefully.
IB Programme Evaluations
IB evaluations focus specifically on how well the school implements IB programmes - PYP, MYP, DP or CP. They assess alignment with IB standards and practices, the quality of programme implementation, and areas where the school needs to develop. These are narrower than BSO or CIS reports but very useful if the IB programme is a factor in your decision.
What to Read First
If you have 10 minutes, read the report in this order:
1. Summary of judgements. BSO reports put this at the end. CIS reports weave it through the narrative. Either way, find the headline assessment first. Is the school "Good" or "Outstanding"? Are there any "Satisfactory" or concerning ratings?
2. Areas for improvement / recommendations. Every report includes these. They are the most revealing section because they describe what the inspectors - experienced education professionals who have visited hundreds of schools - thought needed work. No school is perfect. The question is whether the areas for improvement are things you care about.
3. Teaching and learning. This section describes what inspectors saw in classrooms. Look for specific observations: "Teachers use questioning effectively to extend thinking" is meaningful. "Teaching is good" is generic. The more specific the language, the more you can learn.
4. Pupil welfare and safeguarding. This section covers child protection, medical provision, behaviour management, and pastoral care. Any concerns flagged here should be taken seriously.
The Sections That Matter
Leadership and governance
A strong leadership team is the single best predictor of a school's trajectory. Reports that describe "clear strategic direction," "effective self-evaluation," and "strong governance oversight" are describing a school that knows where it is going and has the leadership to get there. Reports that note "governance needs strengthening" or "the strategic plan is underdeveloped" are describing a school that may struggle to improve.
Teaching quality
Look for specifics. "Teachers know their students well and differentiate effectively" tells you something. "Teaching is generally good" tells you little. If the report describes inconsistency - "teaching quality varies between departments" - that is a flag. It means some departments are strong and others are not. Ask the school which departments the report was referring to.
Safeguarding and welfare
This section should be unremarkable. The inspectors should confirm that safeguarding policies are in place, staff are trained, recruitment checks are completed, and the school has a designated safeguarding lead. If the report flags gaps - "some staff have not completed safeguarding training" or "recruitment procedures do not consistently follow safer recruitment guidelines" - take this seriously.
Reading Between the Lines
Inspection reports are written in careful, professional language. Some phrases carry more weight than they appear to.
"The school is aware of this" - means the school knows there is a problem but has not fixed it yet.
"This is an area for development" - means the inspectors found it inadequate or below expectation.
"Outcomes are broadly in line with expectations" - means results are average. Not bad, but not strong.
"Staff turnover has been high" - signals instability in the teaching team. Ask why.
"The school has made progress since the last inspection" - means the last inspection flagged problems. Check the previous report.
"Governance is supportive" - can mean governance is passive. Strong governance is described as "challenging" or "holding leadership to account."
The overall tone matters. A report that uses consistently warm, specific language - citing examples, naming programmes, describing interactions - reads differently from one that is generic and formulaic. The former suggests inspectors found a school worth writing about. The latter suggests they found a school that was fine.