Commentary Part 1: School Inspections and Other Inspections by School Inspectors Schedule 9: Amendments relating to school inspections
137.This Schedule contains a number of amendments to existing legislation which are consequential on the new inspection provisions and the removal of the current categorisation of a school with serious weaknesses and the introduction of the new significant improvement category. At present the Secretary of State, the Assembly and local education authorities have intervention powers in relation to a school with serious weaknesses, enabling them to add additional governors, take back a school’s delegated budget or to provide for a governing body to be replaced with an interim executive board; in addition, the Secretary of State or the Assembly has power to direct a local education authority to obtain advisory services. The Schedule enables these powers to be exercised in relation to the new significant improvement category.