The Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2001

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2001 No. 2501 (W.204)

EDUCATION, WALES

The Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2001

Made

5th July 2001

Coming into force

1st August 2001

The National Assembly for Wales makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 77(2) and (4), 80(4), 83 (9) and 84(5) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000(1).

Citation, commencement, application and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations are called the Inspection of Education and Training (Wales) Regulations 2001 and come into force on 1st August 2001.

(2) They apply only to Wales.

(3) In these Regulations references to sections are to sections of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

(4) In these Regulations—

• “action plan” (“cynllun gweithredu”) means the written statement referred to in section 80(3), 84(2) or 84(3);

• “area inspection” (“arolygiad ardal”) means an inspection under section 83;

• “the Chief Inspector” (“y Prif Arolygydd”) means Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales(2);

• “inspection” (“arolygiad”) (without more) means an inspection of education or training brought within the remit of the Chief Inspector by section 75, but does not include an area inspection;

• “inspection report” (“adroddiad arolygu”) means the report on an inspection or area inspection which the Chief Inspector is required to make under section 76(2)(c), 77(3) or 83(8);

• “the National Assembly” (“y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol”) means the National Assembly for Wales; and

• “working day” (“diwrnod gwaith”) means a day which is not a Saturday, a Sunday, a bank holiday or (where the education and training inspected is provided at an educational institution) part of a holiday longer than a week taken by the institution in question.

Inspection intervals

2.  Inspections are to be conducted within five years of the date on which these Regulations come into force, and then within each five year period of the date of the last inspection.

Inspection reports

3.  Inspection reports must be made within the period of 55 working days from the date on which the inspection or area inspection is completed or, where it is necessary to provide a translation into Welsh or English, the period of 65 working days from that date.

Action plans

4.—(1) An action plan must be published within the period of 40 working days or, where it is necessary to provide a translation into Welsh or English, the period of 50 working days from (in either case) the date on which the body concerned received a copy of the inspection report.

(2) An action plan must be published by making it available at the offices of the body concerned for inspection by members of the public at all reasonable times, and on any internet web-site of that body.

(3) A copy of an action plan must be sent to each of the following—

(a) the Chief Inspector;

(b) the National Assembly;

(c) the National Council for Education and Training for Wales;

(d) any local education authority or other body or person providing financial support in respect of any education or training inspected (unless that authority, person or body prepared the action plan).

(4) A copy of an action plan must also be sent to any member of the public who requests a copy (free of charge).

(5) In this regulation, “the body concerned” (“y corff o dan sylw”) means the body who, under section 80(3) or subsection (2) or (3) of section 84 (as the case may be), is required to prepare the action plan.

Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998(3)

D.Elis Thomas

The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly

5th July 2001

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Part IV of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 extends the remit of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales to cover the kinds of education and training referred to in section 75 of that Act. The framework for such inspections is set out in the Act, but the Act provides for much of the detail to be set out in Regulations made by the National Assembly. Under the Act inspections must be carried out in respect of specific education or training brought within the remit of the Chief Inspector for Wales by the Act, but the Chief Inspector may also carry out area inspections. These Regulations deal with both forms of inspection.

Regulation 1 contains definitions.

Regulation 2 provides for inspections of specific education or training to be carried out at five yearly intervals.

Regulation 3 sets out the period within which inspection reports (for both inspections and area inspections) are to be made.

Regulation 4 sets out the period within which action plans must be published and provides for the manner of publication of such plans. It also specifies the persons or bodies to whom a copy of an action plan must be sent. It applies in relation to both inspections and area inspections.

(1)

2000 c. 21. For the meaning of “prescribed” in section 77 see subsection (9) of that section.

(2)

See section 4 of the School Inspections Act 1996 (c. 57). The current title, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales, was substituted by section 73(1) of the Learning and Skills Act 2000.

(3)

1998 c. 38.