Independent Schools Council
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This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (December 2009) |
| Independent Schools Council | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ISC |
| Type | non-profit organisation |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Chairman | Barnaby Lenon |
| Website | http://www.isc.co.uk/ |
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a non-profit organisation that represents 1,234 schools in the United Kingdom's independent education sector.[1] The organisation comprises eight independent school associations and promotes the common interests of its member schools in the political arena, which includes the Department for Education.
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[edit] History
The ISC was first established (then as the Independent Schools Joint Council) in 1974 by the leaders of the associations that make up the independent schools. In 1998, it reconstituted as the Independent Schools Council.
Schools that are members of the associations that constitute ISC are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). Since December 2003, ISI has been the body approved by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for the inspection of ISC schools and reports to the DfE under the 2002 Education Act. ISI was part of ISC until, in late 2007, the ISI became its own limited company, thereby separating itself from ISC.[2]
The current chairman of ISC is Barnaby Lenon.
[edit] Operation
In addition to their political activity, the ISC issues regular guidance and information to member schools on a wide variety of political, legal educational, and practical issues. It also takes responsibility for the induction and recruitment of teaching staff.
ISC’s operations are supervised by a Board of Directors on which all eight associations are represented.
Inspection of member schools is undertaken, under a formal agreement with the DfE and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), by the ISI. Professionally independent, the management of ISI is overseen by a committee on which the constituent associations are all represented. ISI inspections, undertaken on a six-year cycle, are reported publicly and are monitored by Ofsted.
[edit] Constituent associations
- Girls' Schools Association (GSA) – the main association to which heads of girls' senior independent schools belong.
- Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC) – represents the heads of over 240 boys' and co-educational independent senior schools.
- Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS) – represents the heads of more than 500 boys', girls' and mixed preparatory schools for children aged usually from 7/8 to 11/13.
- Independent Schools Association (ISA) – ISA members include heads of some 300 preparatory and senior schools for children of all ages.
- Society of Headmasters & Headmistresses of Independent Schools (SHMIS) – represents the heads of independent schools of all sizes, many of which have a long tradition of boarding.
- Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools (AGBIS) – represents the interests of the governing bodies of schools whose heads belong to GSA, HMC and SHMIS (and some belonging to IAPS & ISA).
- Council of British International Schools (COBIS) – represents the interests of British Schools abroad.
- Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA) – represents the bursars of over 800 senior and junior schools.
[edit] References
- ^ "About Us". Independent Schools Council. http://www.isc.co.uk/AboutUs_WhatisISC.htm. Retrieved 05 September 2011.
- ^ "About Us". Independent Schools Inspectorate. http://www.isi.net/about/. Retrieved 05 September 2011.
[edit] External links
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