Thorpe Hall School was inspected over three days in November 2025 by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the regulatory body for independent schools. Their inspections report on the extent to which the statutory Independent School Standards and other applicable regulatory requirements are met, collectively referred to in their report as ‘the Standards’. It comprised a full inspection of educational quality and a full regulatory compliance inspection across Thorpe Hall’s Nursery, Preparatory and Senior Schools.
View it here ISI School Inspection Report 2025
The report is also published on the ISI’s website www.isi.net
For information, in Sept 2023, the ISI changed their inspection format and no longer give single, overarching judgements such as Excellent or Good. Instead, they focus on whether the school meets the relevant standards, and highlight any significant strengths they identify, in five main areas:
Thorpe Hall School has met all required ISI standards, hitting the maximum level in all areas.
From Jon Gorridge, Chair of Governors:
“Our recent inspection report reflects the excellence and dedication that define our school. The findings confirm what we all know: this is a thriving, ambitious, and caring community where pupils flourish, and staff go above and beyond every day.
As Chair of Governors, I want to express how proud the entire governing body is of our teachers, support staff, and, of course, our wonderful pupils. Their hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm have been central to achieving such an exceptional
outcome.
The lead inspector summed it up perfectly when he said that “our school reminded him of why he entered the field of education in the first place.” This is a truly remarkable endorsement and speaks volumes about the culture and values we share.
Our school continues to grow, and this report is a clear endorsement of the path we are on. It demonstrates that we are not only meeting high standards but setting the benchmark for excellence as we look to the future.”
Strengths identified include:
“[Leaders] hold high expectations for pupils and communicate a clear belief in what pupils can achieve”
“Pupils’ wellbeing lies at the centre of leader's vision for the school”
“Leaders have developed an inclusive and engaging curriculum that systematically sequences pupils’ learning at every level”
“Pupils show high levels of interest in their work and participate eagerly in classroom activities”
“Pupils across the school demonstrate highly developed collaborative skills”
“Pupils engage purposefully in a wide range of recreational activities [which] help them develop creativity, physical aptitude and practical skills”
Quotes taken directly from the ISI School Inspection Report 2025
Thorpe Hall School had a ‘Material Change’ inspection from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in July 2023
It came in response to our request to the DfE to approve an increase in the number of students on roll. It also focused on regulatory compliance, ensuring we meet all standards for our students’ spiritual, moral and cultural development and for their welfare, health and safety.
Thorpe Hall met all the required standards of the inspection framework and the recommendation to the DfE was to approve the capacity increase request from 470 to 650 students.
View it here ISI Material Change Inspection Report
The report is also published on the ISI’s website www.isi.net
Thorpe Hall School was inspected over three days at the start of the 2022 summer term by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), the regulatory body for independent schools. It comprised a full inspection of educational quality and a full regulatory compliance inspection across Thorpe Hall’s Nursery, Preparatory and Senior Schools.
View it here ISI Focused Compliance and Educational Quality Inspection Report
The report is also published on the ISI’s website www.isi.net
A key part of the ISI inspection includes an assessment of the quality of a Thorpe Hall education against two main outcomes – pupils’ academic and other achievements, and pupils’ personal development.
The ISI judgements are at least equivalent to those of Ofsted, the national inspectorate. Rather than providing one overarching judgement however, ISI inspectors award an assessment of ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sound’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ for each outcome.
Thorpe Hall School achieved the highest possible judgements of ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ in all key outcomes.
You can view the inspectors’ observations, as quoted directly from the report, in our Inspection Summary Leaflet here.
From Jon Gorridge, Chair of Governors:
“The Governors at Thorpe Hall School welcome the report from the ISI. It reinforces our belief in the THS leadership and staff and echoes our own views that the school demonstrates some of the best practices in education and pastoral care – across all ages, from Nursery to GCSE.
The inspectors have been very complimentary about the teaching and the children themselves. We take on board their recommendations and will continue to do everything possible to enhance the opportunities and outcomes for all our students.
This incredibly positive recount of our school also reflects the years of hard work and effort put in by Andrew Hampton and the previous leadership team. These are the solid foundations upon which Mr Duckitt is now so successfully building in this next exciting phase of Thorpe Hall School’s story.
Our congratulations and thanks go to all for their support and contribution to our thriving school community.”
"The supportive community within the school and the strong pastoral system enable the pupils to flourish and grow."
"Pupils are motivated, expressive and have a good work ethic. They gain a good level of knowledge, skills and understanding of the subjects they study. They actively contribute during lessons and collaborate well with their peers."
"Pupils develop a wide range of interests outside the classroom through the extensive provision of clubs and activities provided by the school. They enter a variety of competitions in which they achieve notable success."
"Pupils have a very strong moral code and a deep understanding of their responsibilities as members of the community in the school and in the wider world. They are courteous and respectful of others as shown by the maturity and their interactions with their peers and staff."
Our 2018 Regulatory Compliance inspection can be downloaded here
The report is also published on the ISI’s website www.isi.net