http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/40/section/117Education and Inspections Act 2006An Act to make provision about primary, secondary and further education and about training; to make provision about food or drink provided on school premises or in connection with the provision of education or childcare; to provide for the establishment of an Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills and the appointment of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills and make provision about the functions of that Office and that Chief Inspector; to provide for the amendment of references to local education authorities and children's services authorities; to amend section 29 of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 in relation to university bodies; and for connected purposes.texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-04-20Expert Participation2026-04-01 Part 8InspectionsChapter 1The Office and the Chief Inspector<Emphasis>Functions: the Office</Emphasis>Performance of Office's functions1171The Office is to perform its functions for the general purpose of encouraging—athe improvement of activities within the Chief Inspector's remit,bthe carrying on of such activities as user-focused activities, andcthe efficient and effective use of resources in the carrying on of such activities.2In performing its functions the Office is to have regard to—athe need to safeguard and promote the rights and welfare of children;aaany matters raised by the Children's Commissioner with the Office or the Chief Inspector;bviews expressed by relevant persons about activities within the Chief Inspector's remit;clevels of satisfaction with such activities on the part of relevant persons;dthe need to promote the efficient and effective use of resources in the carrying on of such activities;ethe need to ensure that action by the Chief Inspector in relation to such activities is proportionate to the risks against which it would afford safeguards;fany developments in approaches to inspection or regulatory action; andgbest practice amongst persons performing functions comparable to those of the Chief Inspector.3In performing its functions the Office must also have regard to such aspects of government policy as the Secretary of State may direct.4In this section—a“children” means persons under the age of 18;b“relevant persons”, in relation to activities within the Chief Inspector's remit, means persons who have an interest in such activities, whether—ias persons for whose benefit they are carried on, oriias parents (if they are carried on for the benefit of children), oriiias employers;c“parents” includes persons—iwho are not parents of children but have parental responsibility for them (within the meaning of the Children Act 1989 (c. 41)), oriiwho have care of children.5Subsection (6) provides for the interpretation, for the purposes of this Part, of references to activities within the Chief Inspector's remit and related expressions.6For those purposes—a“activities” includes—ithe provision of any form of education, training or care,iithe provision of any form of services or facilities, andiiithe performance of any function;bactivities are within the Chief Inspector's remit—iif he exercises any inspection function in relation to them, oriiif they are services of the kind provided by persons in respect of whom he is the registration authority by virtue of any enactment; andcreferences to persons for whose benefit activities are carried on are, in relation to activities within paragraph (a)(i) or (ii), references to persons for whom the education, training or care is provided, or (as the case may be) for whom the services or facilities are provided.S. 117 in force at 12.12.2006 by S.I. 2006/2990, art. 2(e)S. 117(2)(aa) inserted (1.4.2014) by Children and Families Act 2014 (c. 6), ss. 116(2)(a), 139(5)