Commentary on Sections Standards Section 43: Inspection of boarding accommodation
213.Subsection (2)(a) clarifies what is meant by a school or college providing accommodation for a child for the purposes of sections 87 to 87D of CA 1989. The new section 87(1A) extends the meaning of “providing accommodation” to include circumstances in which a school or college arranges boarding accommodation for a child otherwise than on its own premises, for example with host families.
214.Subsection (2)(c) inserts a new subsection (3A) into section 87 which will allow the Secretary of State to direct the Chief Inspector to take steps to determine whether a child’s welfare is being adequately safeguarded and promoted whilst accommodated by a school or college in England. This power can be exercised even where the Chief Inspector’s duty to take such steps has been suspended by virtue of section 87A and an appointed inspectorate has entered into an agreement with the school or college concerned. A new subsection (3B) is also inserted to enable the Welsh Ministers to take steps in respect of a school or college in Wales in circumstances where their duty has been suspended by virtue of section 87A.
215.Subsection (3)(b) allows for regulations to be made specifying the matters to be taken into account in appointing, or terminating the appointment of, independent inspectorates in England.
216.Subsection (4) provides for Ofsted to monitor the work of independent inspectorates appointed to conduct welfare inspections of boarding schools under section 87A, and for the Chief Inspector to report annually to the Secretary of State on those inspectorates. Both of these provisions mirror existing provisions in sections 106 and 107 of ESA 2008 for independent inspectorates conducting inspections of education provision in independent schools in England.