In addition to Ofsted inspections, Church schools also undergo a denominational inspection - the Church of England's Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools, SIAMS, which assesses the effectiveness of Church of England schools as Church schools.
At the heart of the SIAMS process is school self-evaluation carried out by staff and governors. This evidence is then examined by an inspector who also makes his or her own observations before producing a report based around four key questions.
- How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?
- What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
- How effective is the religious education?
- How effective are the leadership and management of the school, as a church school?
This enables a judgement to be made against set grade criteria.
