Archive for the ‘Public Affairs’ Category

Why Schools are Charities

Most of us will have opinions about independent schools. It’s also very likely that we think we know what charity means.  Put together these two preconceptions, and it’s easy to see why there is such a spectrum of views about whether…

Blogging from the DCSF Influential Heads’ Forum

Joan Deslandes, Headteacher of Kingsford Community School started the day off with a keynote speech about why it is so important to work together for the good of all children. She is actively involved with a key partnership initiative with…

Private schools and charitable status

Since time immemorial ‘advancing education’ has been a charitable purpose and independent schools do exactly that. In recent times, some have assumed that to be charitable, relief of poverty needs to be a purpose of the charity in question. However…

Keeping up the good work

On 11th July ISC submitted its response to the Charity Commission’s latest consultation on their public benefit guidance. To those not involved in charity law, it must seem as though the public…

ContactPoint review ignores independent schools’ concerns

Deloitte’s security review of the children’s database system, ContactPoint makes worrying reading for parents. It identifies a number of security failings; points to significant risks to the database caused by lack of expertise and resource; notes the limits on…

Ofsted regulation.. hands off!

Last week, ISC kicked back against government proposals to make the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) answerable to Ofsted.

At the end of July, just as schools had closed their doors for the summer holidays, the DCSF issued a consultation on…

Beside the seaside

What are we to make of the political landscape for independent schools in light of the political conference season which ended last week with the Conservatives in Blackpool?

Let’s start with Labour. The big themes set by Ed Balls…