1

Explain the roles of regulatory bodies relevant to the

education sector which exist to monitor and enforce the

legislative framework, including:

a) A general bodies such as the Health and Safety

Executive

b) School specific regulatory bodies

Even with the best of intentions, it can still be difficult for a large organisation like a

school to ensure that they are fully compliant with all relevant legislation.

For that reason, regulatory bodies exist to monitor schools and provide guidance to

them when requested to ensure that the law is upheld at all times.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Health and Safety Executive is a body that monitors the legislative framework set

out by all organisations, from industrial companies, to businesses, to educational-

based organisations.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires schools to comply with health and

safety law. The 'employer' – in most cases, the school and its governing body – is

required to carry out risk assessments, and place appropriate measures in place to

mitigate and reduce identified hazards and risks. Schools may have a specific

member of staff who will be trained in risk assessments, and who should be able to

assess workstation safety and other aspects of health and safety.

At school, this could refer to ensuring that PE equipment is checked regularly and is

not used if broken; it could refer to the simple PAT testing requirements that all

electronic equipment should have; it can also refer to ensuring the safety of school

trips and even the vetting of visitors to the school.

Schools are also required to complete and keep safe appropriate paperwork that

may be requested for inspection. A straightforward example of this may be accident

and incident recording.

All schools should also have a health and safety policy that is regularly reviewed and

updated if necessary, and all staff should sign to say they have read it.

2

School-specific regulatory bodies

There are several organisations that exist in a regulatory or monitoring capacity that

have been specifically set up for schools.

Ofsted

'Ofsted' is an acronym that stands for the Office for Standards in Education, Children's

Services and Skills. This organisation was created to regulate the provision for and

the education of children and young people. Regulation takes place through

inspections, the findings of which are reported directly to Parliament. All school

inspections can be publicly viewed on their website.

The National College for Teaching and Leadership

The NCTL is the government agency responsible for the quality of the education and

early year’s workforce and help schools to help each other improve. NCTL works with

schools to develop an education system supported locally by partnerships and led by

the best head teachers.

They are responsible for:

Ensuring that enough high-quality trainees enter teacher training and early

year’s teacher training to meet the needs of the sector.

Managing the allocation of teacher training places and related funding to schools and universities who provide teacher training.

Recognising teachers’ professional ability for the award of QTS.

Ensuring that in cases of serious professional misconduct, teachers are barred from teaching developing a national network of teaching schools.

Helping schools and their partners develop and deliver high quality continuing professional development and leadership training.

Enabling successful school leaders and governors to take on a lead role in

school-to-school support to improve the performance of other schools.

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The Independent Schools Council

The Independent Schools Council, which represents independent schools in the UK

(those that are not maintained, but which are privately funded by fees and charities)

regulates and inspects those schools. It also provides information on independent

schools. Each UK country has a separate Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI).