Education Act 2005

57 Inspections under sections 55 and 56: further provisions E+W

(1) This section applies to any inspection under section 55 or 56.

(2) The inspection must be conducted by one or more of the following—

(a) any of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Education and Training in Wales, or

(b) any additional inspector authorised under paragraph 2 of Schedule 2;

but such an inspector or inspectors may be assisted by such other persons (whether or not members of the Chief Inspector's staff) as the Chief Inspector thinks fit.

(3) In conducting the inspection, the inspector or inspectors must act in accordance with any instructions or guidelines given from time to time by the Assembly.

(4) The inspector conducting the inspection, and any person assisting him by virtue of subsection (2), have at all reasonable times—

(a) a right of entry to any premises where the relevant services, or as the case requires the education, training or advisory services falling within section 56(1), are provided, and

(b) a right to inspect, and take copies of, any records or other documents kept by the person being inspected, which he requires for the purposes of the inspection.

(5) It is an offence intentionally to obstruct—

(a) the inspector conducting the inspection, or

(b) any person assisting him by virtue of subsection (2),

in the exercise of his functions in relation to the inspection.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (5) is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

(7) Where the inspection has been completed, the Chief Inspector must—

(a) prepare a written report on the inspection within a prescribed period,

(b) send a copy of the report to—

(i) the person inspected,

(ii) the Assembly,

(iii) any prescribed person, and

(iv) any other person whom he considers appropriate, and

(c) publish the report in the prescribed manner or, if none is prescribed, in such manner as the Chief Inspector considers appropriate.

(8) Subsections (3) and (4) of section 29 (which relate to defamation) apply to the publication of a report under this section as they apply to the publication of a report under either of the provisions mentioned in subsection (2) of that section.

(9) Regulations may require the person inspected to prepare a written statement in response to the report of the inspection.

(10) Regulations under subsection (9) may—

(a) prescribe the matters to be dealt with in the statement,

(b) prescribe the period within which it must be prepared, and

(c) require the person who prepared it to send copies of the statement to prescribed persons and to publish it in the prescribed manner.