Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2018 to Question 124199 on children’s centre inspections, how his Department is monitoring the quality of children’s centres in the absence of regular inspections.

As I said in my previous answer to question 124199, children’s centre inspections are suspended. As indicated in the letter of 25 September 2015 to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, the Secretary of State for Education retains the ability to require Ofsted to undertake inspections and Ofsted itself retains the ability to inspect children’s centres if concerns are raised. The letter can also be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sure-start-childrens-centre-inspections-sam-gyimah-letter.

Registered early years provision within children’s centres will continue to be inspected by Ofsted as part of the Common Inspection Framework. Local authorities who manage children’s centres are responsible for ensuring the services they provide through children’s centres meet appropriate quality standards.