Beefed-up Ofsted will act against illegal schools

Inspectors get new powers to enter and seize evidence
Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of Ofsted, said unregistered schools left many children segregated from mainstream society
Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of Ofsted, said unregistered schools left many children segregated from mainstream society
RAY WELLS FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES

Ofsted, the education watchdog, will be handed powers to enter and close illegal schools after it warned that children are being educated in garages, exposed to extremist material and taught by offenders.

Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, will legislate to make it easier for inspectors to turn up unannounced at what they believe are unregistered schools. They will also be able to seize evidence and materials to help build stronger legal cases.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, said the reforms were necessary to curb the rise of unregistered schools, which she said failed to equip children with British values, basic numeracy and literacy skills and left many youngsters “very segregated” from mainstream society.

Alongside this, Ofsted wants the government to allow magistrates courts to hand