Further written evidence to be reported to the House
Education and Skills Bill
12:00 pm
Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
Under clause 89, there is a power to deregister an independent school that makes an unapproved material change in its provision. That would probably follow some form of inspection or peer review of what had been the opinion of the Independent Schools Inspectorate when looking at that school. Is that your concern? Ofsted’s role is to review what the ISI does—to inspect and, in a sense, to investigate—and it is quite right for Ofsted then to produce a report setting out its views. For probably 99 per cent. of the time, you would have no disagreement, yet there will be genuine disagreement in a tiny proportion of cases—perhaps 1 per cent. or less. Is it right in those circumstances for Ofsted to be the judge of those matters?