Hurstpierpoint College | About Hurst - Inspection Reports

Inspection reports

Quality Inspection Report

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) completed a full inspection of the College in November 2023.

A note from Dominic Mott, Head of College:

The new ISI Inspection Framework came into force in September 2023 and comprises two strands:

  • Ensure compliance with the standards, regulations and legal requirements of an independent school, with a particular focus on the National Minimum Boarding standards and safeguarding.

As you would rightly expect from a school such as Hurst, the report confirms that all these standards have been met.

  • Evaluate the quality of education provided, with a real focus on the pupils’ academic achievements and personal development.

There are no longer any gradings (e.g. ‘Good’) and I encourage you to read the full report for a more nuanced assessment of the College’s overall performance.

This year, however, ISI have introduced a new concept of a ‘significant strength’. This is designed to be a real accolade highlighting a particular aspect of a school that stands out as being worthy of particular note. We are not aware of any other school having been awarded a significant strength so far, though there are over a hundred reports published so far and we may have missed it. Either way, it is very pleasing to be able to report that we have been highlighted as having a significant strength for setting high expectations and aspirations, offering a challenging curriculum, and ensuring that effective teaching is translated into pupil outcomes. That may not sound overly exciting to most people, but in the language of ISI reports that is about as effusive as it comes!

Below you will find a highlights booklet of the inspection and the full report.

Regulatory Compliance Inspection

A Regulatory Compliance Inspection of Hurst College Pre-Prep, Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form took place in late April 2016 by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).

As this was a compliance only inspection, the ISI reports only on the school’s compliance with the standards which represent minimum requirements and judgements are given as: met or not met.

The summary evaluation for Hurstpierpoint College states:

“The school meets the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools 2015 and associated requirements and no further action is required as a result of this inspection.”

Boarding Inspection

A summary of the ISI Interim Boarding Inspection in February 2013 is outlined below.

The intermediate inspection focuses on compliance with the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools and comments on the progress made by the school in meeting the recommendations set out in the most recent statutory boarding inspection carried out by Ofsted in June 2009. The inspection findings are not graded; they are a pass or fail.

The summary of the Inspection report confirmed that Hurst meets all the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools 2011 on the following criteria:

  • Boarding provision and care
  • Arrangements for welfare and safeguarding
  • Leadership and management of the boarding provision
  • Hurst met the recommendations made in the 2009 Ofsted boarding inspection report