The new Common Inspection Framework – key analysis

In June 2015, the new inspection framework was launched and brings with it a new acronym – CIF, the Common Inspection Framework. The CIF is intended to enable "greater coherence across different providers that cater for similar age ranges". It is hoped that there will be greater consistency across different remits as a result of its introduction.

The settings included in this unified approach include early years, maintained schools and academies, non-association independent schools and further education and skills providers. They will all follow the same framework although each will have its own handbook.

However, there is an irony in this notion of commonality. There might be more consistency between institutions catering for children, but between schools themselves there has perhaps never been greater disparity.