Written question WQ84053

Any school in Wales that meets the definition of an independent school must be registered with the Welsh Government. Provision outside the scope of the definition is not registered.

If we become aware of a potential unregistered school, officials will undertake a number of due diligence checks to establish whether the provision is operating as an independent school.

These checks will include contacting the provider to ascertain the type of provision that is being offered, and whether it falls within the criteria of an independent school.

Where there may be reasonable cause to believe that an offence is being committed by running an unregistered independent school, or where there is doubt about the status of a provision Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector for Education has powers of entry and inspection.

If following the discussion with the provider, or on receipt of advice from Estyn there is evidence this is an unregistered school an immediate direction will be issued to the provider, instructing them to stop providing fulltime education for statutory school age pupils immediately; and not to continue until such a time as an application to register as an independent school has been submitted, and agreed by the Welsh Ministers.