Education Act 2005

5 Duty to inspect certain schools at prescribed intervals

(1) It is the duty of the Chief Inspector—

(a) to inspect under this section every school in England to which this section applies, at such intervals as may be prescribed, and

(b) when the inspection has been completed, to make a report of the inspection in writing.

(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,

(d) Academies,

(e) city technology colleges,

(f) city colleges for the technology of the arts, and

(g) special schools which are not community or foundation special schools but are for the time being approved by the Secretary of State 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 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 Secretary of State has given a direction to discontinue the school under section 19 or 32 of that Act,

(d) a city technology college, city college for the technology of the arts or Academy in respect of which notice of termination of an agreement made under section 482 of the Education Act 1996 has been given, or

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

(5) It is the general duty of the Chief Inspector, when 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 9.

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

(a) denominational education, or

(b) the content of collective worship which falls to be inspected under section 48.