Part 10: Schools
26.Chapter 1 amends the current intervention powers which local education authorities and the Secretary of State have in respect of schools which are causing concern. It also gives local education authorities and the Secretary of State specific powers to intervene to ensure schools comply with the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.
27.Chapter 2 streamlines the process by which parents can make complaints about schools, transferring responsibility to hear complaints from the Secretary of State to the Local Government Ombudsman.
28.Chapter 3 enables the Chief Inspector of Education and Children’s Services (Ofsted) to publish an interim statement on schools between inspections.
29.Chapter 4 establishes the School Support Staff Negotiating Body as a statutory body and gives the Secretary of State powers to ratify agreements reached by it on school support staff pay and conditions. This Chapter also makes provision about the effect of ratifying an agreement.