Peer Inspector (PI)
People who have a managerial role in a school or provider with teaching or training experience.
Recruited and trained by us, Peer Inspectors are full members of an inspection team, contributing to all inspection areas. They also write parts of the inspection report.
A school PI might inspect two or three times a year.
Registered Inspector (RgI) and Registered Nursery Inspector (RgNI)
They lead school / pre-school inspections, carrying out the same role as an HMI.
We recruit, train and maintain a list of ‘approved’ RgIs/RgNIs who work for us on a contract.
Additional Inspector (AI): Team Inspector
Independent and self-employed, they join inspection teams led by HMI or RgI.
We train team inspectors and they work for us on a contract.
Some may also be RgIs or retired HMIs.
Additional Inspector: Secondee
Seconded by an employer (e.g. school or local authority) to work full-time as an inspector for a fixed period, normally up to two years.
They carry out the same work as an HMI, undertaking surveys and other work within their area of expertise.
Lay Inspector
Members of the general public and our corporate services staff who we train to join a school inspection. The lay inspector focuses on the experience of school for pupils and the contribution that the relationships and environment make to their safety, attitudes to learning and wellbeing.
Legally, they can’t have been employed in a school but they can have been a volunteer or a governor.
Nominee
A member of staff nominated by the school or provider being inspected to liaise with the inspection team.
They are not a full member of an inspection team and do not ‘inspect’ or evaluate the provision.
They do attend all inspection meetings and ensure that the team has full access to all the sources of evidence it needs.