SIAMS explores ways in which each school’s theologically rooted Christian vision drives its work and enables the school to live up to its foundation as a Church school. It does so by seeking to answer six or (in the case of Voluntary Aided schools) seven Inspection Questions (IQs).

IQ1: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision enable pupils and adults to flourish?

IQ2: How does the curriculum reflect the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision?

IQ3: How is collective worship enabling pupils and adults to flourish spiritually?

IQ4: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create a culture in which pupils and adults are treated well?

IQ5: How does the school’s theologically rooted Christian vision create an active culture of justice and responsibility?

IQ6: Is the religious education curriculum effective (with reference to the expectations set out in the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement for Religious Education)?

IQ7: What is the quality of religious education in voluntary aided and former voluntary aided schools, and in former voluntary controlled schools in which denominational religious education is taught?

SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.

Inspectors make one of two judgements:

The inspection findings indicate that the school is living up to its foundation as a Church school, and is enabling pupils and adults to flourish