1. Inspectors will, wherever possible and appropriate, work collaboratively with the proprietors, school leaders and staff to ensure the smooth running of the inspection and effective evidence gathering.
  2. The reporting inspector will liaise regularly throughout the inspection with the headteacher, or their designated senior leader, keeping them informed of emerging evidence and to amend the inspection plan, as required. Reporting inspectors will provide school leaders with the opportunity to signpost any additional evidence that may be relevant to the emerging judgements. These regular keeping-in-touch meetings will also provide opportunities for the headteacher to raise any concerns including about the conduct of inspection. The reporting inspector will raise any serious emerging issues, which indicate one or more of the Standards may be unmet, with the headteacher at the earliest opportunity. However, the reporting inspector will make clear to the headteacher that final judgements can only be reached when all the inspection evidence has been reviewed. This judgement is provisional until report publication.
  3. Reporting inspectors will offer school leaders the opportunity to be involved in some inspection activities. These may include reviewing pupils' work, joint lesson walks, discussion of examples of existing records and evidence, and tours of the school premises to consider related Standards.
  4. Joint inspection activities are helpful to inspectors when school leaders can provide context for the evidence that inspectors are recording and evaluating. These activities may also be helpful to school leaders in enabling them to understand how inspectors evaluate evidence and reach judgements.
  5. The reporting inspector will determine which inspection activities are appropriate for school leaders to be involved in. The role of the school leader is to provide context for the evidence and not to influence inspectors' evaluation of the evidence.