Part I

Teacher Training

Supplementary provisions

Inspection of teacher training in Wales
18C
1
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education and Training in Wales (“
the Chief Inspector
”) may inspect and report on—
a
any initial training of teachers, or specialist teaching assistants, for schools, or
b
any in-service training of such teachers or assistants,
which is provided by a training provider in Wales.
2
When asked to do so by the National Assembly for Wales, the Chief Inspector must—
a
give advice to the Assembly on such matters connected with training falling within subsection (1)(a) or (b) as may be specified in the Assembly's request;
b
inspect and report on such one or more relevant training providers as may be so specified.
3
The Chief Inspector may at any time give advice to—
a
the Assembly,
b
the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, or
c
the General Teaching Council for Wales,
on any matter connected with training falling within subsection (1)(a) or (b).
4
The Chief Inspector may—
a
make such reports of inspections carried out by him under this section as he considers appropriate, and
b
arrange for any such report to be published in such manner as he considers appropriate,
and subsections (2) to (4) of section 29 of the 2005 Act (publication of inspection reports) apply in relation to the publication of any such report as they apply in relation to the publication of a report under any of the provisions mentioned in subsection (2) of that section.
5
When inspecting a training provider under this section, the Chief Inspector has at all reasonable times—
a
a right of entry to the premises of the training provider, and
b
a right to inspect, and take copies of, any records kept by the training provider, and any other documents containing information relating to the training provider, which he considers relevant to the exercise of his functions under this section;
and section 58 of the 2005 Act (inspection of computer records) applies for the purposes of this section as it applies for the purposes of Part 1 of the 2005 Act.
6
Without prejudice to subsection (5), a training provider to which an inspection under this section relates—
a
must give the Chief Inspector all assistance in connection with the exercise of his functions under this section which he is reasonably able to give, and
b
must secure that all such assistance is also given by persons who work for the training provider.
7
The Chief Inspector may not carry out any inspection under subsection (1) unless—
a
at least eight weeks previously, he has given notice of his intention to carry out the inspection—
i
to the training provider concerned, or
ii
where the training is provided by a partnership or association of training providers, to one of those training providers, or
b
with the agreement of that training provider or (as the case may be) one of those training providers, he has given it shorter notice of that intention.
8
Any notice under subsection (7)—
a
must be given in writing, and
b
may be sent by post;
and any such notice may (without prejudice to any other lawful method of giving it) be addressed to a training provider at any address which the training provider has notified to
the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research
as its address.
9
Nothing in this section confers any right or imposes any duty, whether as regards the carrying out of any inspection or otherwise, in relation to any course which consists of instruction given wholly or mainly for purposes other than training falling within subsection (1)(a) or (b).
10
Any reference in this section to the Chief Inspector is to be read, in relation to any inspection which he is authorised or required to carry out under this section, as including a reference to any person authorised to act on his behalf under paragraph 5(1) or (2) of Schedule 2 to the 2005 Act.
11
Nothing in this section is to be taken as prejudicing the generality of sections 20 to 23 of, or paragraph 5(1) or (2) of Schedule 2 to, the 2005 Act.
12
In this section—
a
“
the 2005 Act
” means the Education Act 2005;
b. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
c
“
training provider
” has the same meaning as in Part 3 of the 2005 Act;
d
“
relevant training provider
” means any training provider who provides training falling within subsection (1)(a) or (b);
e
“
in-service training
” includes any training provided to a teacher serving an induction period (within the meaning of section 19 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998);
f
“
documents
” and “
records
” each include information recorded in any form.
Ss. 18B-18C substituted (1.9.2005) for s. 18A by Education Act 2005 (c. 18), s. 125(3)(a), Sch. 14 para. 13
S. 18C modified (1.9.2005) by Education Act 2005 (c. 18), s. 125(3)(a), Sch. 15 para. 5
S. 18C(12)(b) omitted (1.8.2024) by virtue of Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (asc 1), s. 148(2), Sch. 4 para. 7(3)(b) (with s. 19); S.I. 2024/806, art. 2(k)(v) (with art. 28)
S. 18C(3)(b) substituted (1.8.2024) by Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (asc 1), s. 148(2), Sch. 4 para. 7(3)(a) (with s. 19); S.I. 2024/806, art. 2(k)(v) (with art. 28)
Words in s. 18C(8) substituted (1.8.2024) by The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 2024/803), regs. 1(2), 4(2)