OFSTED

Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills

Non-ministerial government department overview
Jurisdiction	England
Employees	1,215
Annual budget	£168 million (2013–14)
Minister responsible	Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Education
Non-ministerial government department executives	VACANT, Chair Amanda Spielman, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools
Parent department	Department for Education
Website	www.ofsted.gov.uk

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) is a non-ministerial department of the UK government, reporting to Parliament via the Department for Education. Ofsted is responsible for inspecting a range of educational institutions, including state schools and some independent schools. It also inspects childcare, adoption and fostering agencies and initial teacher training, and regulates a range of early years and children’s social care services.

The official position of the Chief Inspector (HMCI) is appointed by an Order-in-Council and thus becomes an office holder under the Crown. The current office holder is Amanda Spielman, since 2017^[update]; since August 2016^[update] the Interim Chair of Ofsted has been James Kempton, following the resignation of David Hoare.

In 1833, Parliament agreed an annual grant to the National Society for Promoting Religious Education and the British and Foreign School Society, which respectively provided Church of England and non-denominational elementary schools for poor children. To monitor the effectiveness of the grant, two inspectors of schools were appointed in 1837, Seymour Tremenheere and the Rev. John Allen. Dr. James Kay-Shuttleworth, then secretary of the Privy Council education committee, ensured that the inspectors were appointed by Order-in-Council to guard their independence.

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