SIAMS

Thomas Bullock was last inspected in January 2018 and judged as ‘good’. Please click the link below to see the report in full.

SIAMS Report 2018

The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) is a key inspection for Church of England and Methodist schools in England, designed to ensure that these schools meet the expectations set out by their religious foundation. Even though your school is now an academy, it is still inspected under the same guidelines because it was previously a voluntary aided school.

Here’s what SIAMS means and what the inspection process involves:

1. Inspection Focus: SIAMS focuses on how the school’s Christian vision, which is rooted in theology, impacts the pupils and the school community. This vision shapes the curriculum, collective worship, the overall culture, and religious education at the school.
2. Inspection Questions (IQs): Inspectors explore the school through six or seven key questions, depending on the school type. These questions evaluate how well the school’s Christian values are integrated into different aspects of school life. The questions are centred on:
   • How the Christian vision helps everyone in the school to flourish.
   • How the curriculum reflects this vision.
   • The role of collective worship in spiritual development.
   • The culture of care, justice, and responsibility based on the Christian ethos.
   • The quality and effectiveness of religious education.
3. Inspection Process: The inspection does not demand a particular “template” of what the school should look like. Instead, it takes into account the school’s unique context, considering how the Christian vision is applied practically. Inspectors focus on the impact that vision has on both pupils and adults in the school.
4. Judgement: After the inspection, the school receives 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.
   • The inspection findings indicate that the school has strengths, but there are also issues that leaders need to address as a matter of priority.

The purpose of SIAMS is to assess how effectively the school’s Christian vision is being lived out in the daily life of the school and whether it enables all pupils and adults to flourish. It’s not about grading the school in the traditional sense, but rather determining whether the school is fulfilling its role as a Church school.