Education Act 2005

Inspections by registered inspectors and members of the Inspectorate E+W

28 Duty to arrange regular inspections of certain schools E+W

(1) It is the duty of the Chief Inspector to secure that every school in Wales to which this section applies is inspected under this section, at such intervals as may be prescribed, by an inspector registered under section 25 or by a member of the Inspectorate.

(2) Subject to subsection (3), the schools to which this section applies are—

(a) community, foundation and voluntary schools,

(b) community and foundation special schools,

(c) maintained nursery schools, and

(d) special schools which are not community or foundation special schools but are for the time being approved by the Assembly under section 342 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) (approval of special schools).

(3) This section does not apply to any school—

(a) which is a closing school (as defined by subsection (4)), and

(b) in respect of which the Chief Inspector has decided, having regard to the date on which the closure is to take effect, that no useful purpose would be served by the school being inspected under this section.

(4) In subsection (3)(a) a “closing school” means—

(a) any community, foundation or voluntary school, community or foundation special school or maintained nursery school in respect of which proposals to discontinue the school have been approved, adopted [F1 , confirmed] or determined under any enactment,

(b) a foundation or voluntary school in respect of which the governing body have given notice of discontinuance under section 30 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (c. 31),

(c) a community, foundation or voluntary or community or foundation special school in respect of which the Assembly has given a direction to discontinue the school under section 19 or 32 of that Act, or

(d) a special school which is not a community or foundation special school but is for the time being approved by the Assembly under section 342 of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) and which the proprietor has decided to close.

(5) It is the general duty of any inspector conducting an inspection under this section to report on—

(a) the quality of the education provided in the school,

(b) how far the education provided in the school meets the needs of the range of pupils at the school,

(c) the educational standards achieved in the school,

(d) the quality of the leadership in and management of the school, including whether the financial resources made available to the school are managed effectively,

(e) the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils at the school, and

(f) the contribution made by the school to the well-being of those pupils.

(6) Subsection (1) has effect subject to section 32.

(7) An inspection which is required under this section must not extend to—

(a) denominational education,

(b) education which is brought within the remit of the Chief Inspector by Part 4 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (c. 21), or

(c) the content of collective worship which falls to be inspected under section 50.

(8) Schedule 4 makes further provision with respect to inspections under this section.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 28(4)(a) inserted (W.) (1.4.2006) by The National Council for Education and Training for Wales (Transfer of Functions to the National Assembly for Wales and Abolition) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/3238), art. 9(1), Sch. 1 para. 96 (with art. 7)