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Inspecting British schools overseas

Overview

Internationals schools offering a UK curriculum, such as the English National Curriculum, can seek recognition of the quality of their provision through the Inspection of British Schools Overseas (BSO) process. With endorsement from the Department for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø (DfE) in London and using a transparent framework of quality expectations, inspection under this system is benchmarked against the standards expected of effective independent schools in England. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø is one of the inspection providers authorised by the UK government to provide BSO. The BSO process is monitored and quality-assured by the government school inspection agency for England, Ofsted (the Office for Standards in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø).

There are many schools worldwide that see themselves as having a British style or characters. For these 'British schools overseas', this inspection process provides a means to reassure parents that educational standards are comparable with independent school standards in the UK. The inspection process leads to the production of a report that will provide the school community with an official view of quality. The inspection report will be posted on our website as per the Department for ºÚÁϳԹÏ꿉۪s requirements. See the listingÌý of ºÚÁϳԹÏ꿉۪s British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspection reports below.

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The benefits of BSO

The value of the BSO inspection lies, above all, in the rigour of the inspection process that gives recognition to a school and highlights both its strengths and weaknesses in relation to clearly defined UK standards and expectations. This reference provides reassurance for current and prospective parents and a focus for further development.

An additional benefit of BSO is that it entitles schools that successfully meet the standards, to recruit and induct newly qualified teachers. This recognition provides BSO-inspected schools with an added advantage which may assist in their teacher recruitment and in attracting and retaining new teachers in an increasingly competitive world.

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Inspection with ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has a reputation for quality. We provide schools with an inspection service delivered by quality-assured and respected inspectors with high levels of credibility and relevant experience. Our BSO inspections are organised centrally in the UK, with the added benefit of local intelligence derived from our global presence through our offices in many of the key markets for British schools overseas. We pay particular attention to team composition ensuring that our staff are suitable given the size and character of the school.

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How does BSO work?

The BSO process is simple and straightforward and a school seeking to be inspected takes the following steps:

  1. Submit an initial enquiry
  2. Register for an inspection
  3. Liaise over the inspection arrangements
  4. Manage the inspection visit
  5. Receive the final written report and outcome

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Key points

  • DfE endorsed
  • Benchmarked against effective independent schools standards
  • Monitored and quality-assured by Ofsted


Reports

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø has been authorised by the UK Department for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø to inspect British schools overseas and produce inspection reports. As a DfE-approved inspectorate, our BSO inspection reports are published on our website.

Our impact in 2025

In 2025 we continued our work in Sharjah in the UAE, supporting the Sharjah Private ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Authority (SPEA) in their inspections across almost 90 schools. The 2024/2025 SPEA performance review visits showed a marked improvement in school quality compared to 2023/2024. The 2024/2025 SPEA performance review visits showed a marked improvement in school quality compared to 2023/2024. At that point, no schools were rated ‘very good’, with 40% judged ‘good’, and 60% ‘acceptable’. By the 2024/45 review cycle, quality feedback from inspections – complete with targeted recommendations – had driven 68% of schools to be ranked ‘good’ or ‘very good’, and 32% ‘acceptable’.

SPEA also noted how our work has fostered partnerships and continuous improvement in schools, leaving a lasting impact.

Elsewhere in the Middle East, private schools in Dubai – where we have supported inspections in partnership with the Dubai Schools and Inspections Bureau – were this year ranked in the top five globally for science performance and the top ten for mathematics.

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“TheÌýBSOÌýinspection served as a valuable lens, allowing us to view our institution from an unbiased, external perspective. It pushed us to introspect, affirming our strengths and pointing out areas of improvement with precision. TheÌýrigourÌýandÌýhigh standardsÌýset by theÌýBSOÌýreinforced our commitment to providing world-class education,Ìýensuring that we consistently align with best international practices for ourÌýpupils.â€Ìý

BSO reviewed school, United Arab Emirates

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