Catholic Schools Inspection

In conducting inspections each diocese is exercising a pastoral function on behalf of  their Bishop. Inspection is one of the ways a Bishop acts as a shepherd of his schools,  protecting, supporting and encouraging  them.

For this reason, dioceses also have  a canonical and legal responsibility to  ensure that the inspection of their schools  witnesses to Catholic values and are compatible with both the teachings of the  Church and the law of the land. Dioceses will exercise this responsibility by  appointing accredited inspectors who are  able to carry out this pastoral and legal  function effectively.  

In November 2019, the Bishops’ Conference  unanimously agreed to a National  Framework for the Inspection of Catholic  Schools, Colleges and Academies. This  provided, inter alia, for all inspectors  to be accredited, on behalf of every  diocesan bishop, in accordance with a  nationally agreed protocol approved by the  Department of Education and Formation,  to inspect in any diocese. 

When an inspector carries out an inspection,  they are acting on behalf of the Bishop in  whose diocese the school is situated. For this reason, they must be able to act with integrity as his representative and must therefore be practising Catholics in full communion with the Catholic Church 

Please click on the file below to read our last Denominational Inspection report.