The School Inspection Service (SIS) is an approved educational oversight body authorised by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) section of the Home Office to inspect privately funded further education colleges in England, with a Steiner, Montessori or Eurythmy basis or background, or with a clear religious purpose.
Educational oversight inspection by SIS is designed to assess the college’s compliance with the SIS College Standards, which cover the quality of education and welfare provided to all students, including those from overseas who are sponsored by the college for Tier 4 visas, and, where applicable, those under eighteen and vulnerable adults. Inspection provides objective and reliable reports on the extent to which colleges meet the standards. By placing reports in the public domain, the information they contain is available to students, the UKVI, and the wider community.
The inspection framework is designed to support and facilitate high quality inspection of private further education colleges with a clearly defined and specific purpose, so that reports can be written and presented which are valuable to the institution, to government agencies, to students, their parents where appropriate, and to the public. The inspection focuses on the compliance with the Standards of the institution at the time of the inspection.
The inspection also takes account of the college’s financial performance over the last two years for new providers and since the last inspection for established providers. Based on this evidence an assessment is made of the college’s financial sustainability over the next four-year period. This work is done by a qualified accountant on the basis of information provided by the college. Prospective students, their parents and agents should make their own enquiries into the financial viability of institutions before accepting a place.