An overview of SIAMS
The purpose of the SIAMS inspection is to help a school evaluate the impact of its distinctively Christian vision on both pupils and adults. This will involve exploring how your school’s Christian vision drives and supports major strategic and operational decisions and the impact that has on enabling all pupils and adults to flourish.
Church of England schools will employ a wide variety of ways of achieving a distinctively Christian ethos and character which will reflect their unique context. As a result of this, the SIAMS inspection will not look for a set model of what a Church of England school should look like. The inspector will take the context of the school into account and base their judgment on outcomes as opposed to processes.
The current SIAMS Evaluation Schedule (2024) siams-framework-september-2024+(1).pdf explores ways in which each school’s theologically rooted Christian vision drives its work and enables the school to live up to its foundation as a Church school. It does so by seeking to answer six or (in the case of Voluntary Aided schools) seven Inspection Questions (IQs).
IQ1:
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision enable pupils and adults to flourish?
IQ2:
How does the curriculum reflect the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision?
IQ3:
How is collective worship enabling pupils and adults to flourish spiritually?
IQ4:
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create a culture in which pupils and adults are treated well?
IQ5:
How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create an active culture of justice and responsibility?
IQ6:
Is the religious education curriculum effective (with reference to the expectations set out in the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement for Religious Education)?
IQ7:
What is the quality of religious education in voluntary aided and former voluntary aided schools, and in former voluntary controlled schools in which denominational religious education is taught?
Inspectors make one of two judgements:
The inspection findings indicate that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school, and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish.
or
The inspection findings indicate that the school has strengths, but that there are also issues that leaders need to address as a matter of priority.
Keeping on Track visits
For those schools/academies that subscribe to the Partnership Agreement a mid-point monitoring visit (Keeping on Track) is programmed in. This takes the form of a half-day school visit by a diocesan adviser. The format of the visit consists of:
- An act of collective worship
- A learning walk
- Conversations with:
- The headteacher
- The RE lead
- The CW lead
- Foundation governor(s) if available
This is followed up with a short, written report highlighting agreed strengths and any agreed areas for development.
Throughout a school year we offer a range of additional SIAMS support training which takes the form of face to face training and virtual.
If you require any additional information in relation to SIAMS or Keeping on Track please contact David Thorpe
david.thorpe@liverpool.anglican.org
Useful Downloads
- Spiritual Development – Interpretations of spiritual developments in the classroom
- Statement of Entitlement
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Policy Template
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Guidance
- Pre SIAMS checklist
- Questions for the staffroom and governors meeting
- SIAMS checklist for schools
- Diocesan SEF March 2025
- information for SIAMS (September 2025)
You can find more helpful information on the Church of England website Inspections — National Society for Education