Monitoring of assessment arrangements
9.—(1) This article makes provision for the monitoring of the NC test assessment under article 10, by the local education authority (referred to in this article as “the monitoring authority”).
(2) In any school year the monitoring authority shall exercise their functions conferred by this article in any school year in relation to 10% of all relevant schools.
(3) For the purposes of paragraphs (2) and (4), “relevant schools” are all schools maintained by the monitoring authority at which in any school year NC tests are administered to pupils under article 8.
(4) Each school year the monitoring authority shall visit the relevant schools during any of the following periods–
(a)the week before any NC tests are administered to pupils under article 8;
(b)the period during which NC tests are administered to pupils under that article; or
(c)three school days after the day on which the last NC test is administered to pupils under that article
and such a visit may be during any of these periods in respect of any of those schools.
(5) The purpose of any such visit as is referred to in paragraph (4) shall be to enable the monitoring authority to monitor whether the assessment arrangements for the purposes of administering the NC tests under article 8 are in accordance with the provisions of the document in which those NC tests are published and the relevant NC assessment timetable, including, in the case of a visit under paragraph (4)(b), whether pupils' written responses to the NC tests represent their own work.
(6) Following any such visit as is referred to in paragraph (4), the monitoring authority shall discuss the outcome of the visit with the head teacher.
(7) Where, as a result of a visit, it appears to the monitoring authority that any of the assessment arrangements in connection with administering the NC tests under article 8 are not in accordance with the document in which those NC tests are published or the relevant NC assessment timetable or that any pupil’s written response to the NC tests does not represent his own work, they shall–
(a)bring the matter to the attention of the head teacher; and
(b)report the matter to the Authority.
(8) It shall be the duty of the head teacher and the governing body–
(a)to permit the monitoring authority to enter the premises of the school at all reasonable times in order to observe the implementation of the arrangements for NC test assessment under article 8;
(b)to permit the monitoring authority to inspect and take copies of documents and other articles relating to that NC test assessment; and
(c)to provide to the monitoring authority such information relating to such assessment as they may reasonably request.
(9) For the purpose of exercising their functions under this article, the monitoring authority shall appoint such competent persons as they think fit.