1. ISI's careful consideration of pupil survey responses gathered on a range of inspections suggests that there are different 'levels' of school culture, which may be experienced at the same time within a school:

    Level 1: The positive outward face of the school community. Governors, leadership, staff, pupils and parents highlight the many positive aspects of the school. This wholly positive aspect of the school is evident for example on the school website, documentation, displays and performances, prize giving, open day/evening presentations and tours.

    Level 2: The day-to-day experience of the school community – issues arise but these are mostly dealt with appropriately. Questionnaire responses are generally positive and most pupils agree with positive statements about the school.

    Level 3: Some members of the school community (and this may be a small number) are impacted by negative and damaging behaviours and attitudes such as racism, misogyny and bullying. Experiences may be 'secret and separate', and evidence may be harder to see. This aspect of school life may be hidden from view and requires very effective mechanisms in place for hearing from pupils and staff. Evidence may be located in the detail in the safeguarding, behaviour, bullying and complaints logs. It may be found in the small negative percentages in questionnaires and negative comments included among a larger number of positive comments. Deep listening and noticing are required to access this level.

  2. This approach to the consideration of various levels of school culture may support adapting existing risk strategies as necessary to identify and manage the risk to pupils' wellbeing of pupils experiencing harmful behaviours and attitudes. In some cases, these risks may be harder to spot, and less obvious to existing risk mitigation strategies. Inspectors will be interested to hear from school leaders how they enable pupils' voices which may be harder to hear, so that they can ensure that appropriate strategies are in place to support these pupils.
  3. Where inspectors evaluate that school staff are failing to prevent bullying related to protected characteristics2 or that leaders and/or staff are allowing a hostile culture, this is likely to result in unmet Standards, including ISSR paragraph 3(j) (which requires that the proprietor ensures that the teaching at the school does not discriminate against pupils contrary to Part 6 of the Equality Act 2010) and ISSR paragraph 5(b)(vi), (which provides that the standard about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils at the school is met if the proprietor ensures that principles are actively promoted which encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the 2010 Act).